No Mobile Phones in class for Haryana Government School teachers
New Delhi:
The Haryana Government, in a fresh set of guidelines issued for government school teachers, has directed teachers to not take their mobile phones to the classroom. They can carry a mobile phone in classrooms only if required as an academic aid for which they would have to take prior permission. The guidelines come into effect immediately. "And if a teacher happens to head the institution, they will have to take care that neither they nor other teachers indulge in this fancy as fresh guidelines have been issued by the Haryana Education Department in this regard," an official statement said here today.
"It (mobile phone) shall be kept stashed away in the staff room or in an area earmarked by the head of school...If for some unavoidable reasons, mobile phone is required to be taken to the class-room for academic use by a teacher, prior permission should be taken from the head of school for reasons to be recorded in a register to be maintained for this purpose," the statement read.
In order to facilitate any emergency communication, the order states, the teachers should be provided with two contact numbers. The two emergency contact numbers could be of the head of the school, the second senior most in-charge of the school or clerk, or any other arrangement seen as fit by the head of the school.
Use of mobile phone during non-class hours shall be confined to the area away from the classes. The statement said that the students should be saved from the disturbance of external influence of mobile phones.
"All inspecting officers, whether on regular inspection or surprise inspections, shall check whether compliance of these instructions is being made meticulously or not. In case of any violation, action against the head of school shall be proposed by the inspecting officer. If any substantive complaint is received from students or general public, that the guidelines are being violated on a campus, the head of that school shall be held squarely accountable," the statement added further.
These fresh guidelines have been issued in light of the observation that many teachers carry mobile phones to classrooms for personal and not professional use. This leads to misusing and diverting teachers hours to other unproductive purposes which in no way contribute to the academic improvement of schools.
"Mobile phone has recently emerged as the single gadget which has started consuming class time of some teachers. Social media or other entertainment scopes of mobile phones hardly contribute anything towards the syllabus which is to be taught to the students on the school campus," it said.
The statement also said that there might be circumstances when a teacher might want to use a mobile phone for creative academic purposes. "Yet, if in the name of rare creativity a no-holds-barred situation is allowed on the campuses, undesirable consequences are bound to rise".
(With Inputs from PTI)
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"It (mobile phone) shall be kept stashed away in the staff room or in an area earmarked by the head of school...If for some unavoidable reasons, mobile phone is required to be taken to the class-room for academic use by a teacher, prior permission should be taken from the head of school for reasons to be recorded in a register to be maintained for this purpose," the statement read.
In order to facilitate any emergency communication, the order states, the teachers should be provided with two contact numbers. The two emergency contact numbers could be of the head of the school, the second senior most in-charge of the school or clerk, or any other arrangement seen as fit by the head of the school.
Use of mobile phone during non-class hours shall be confined to the area away from the classes. The statement said that the students should be saved from the disturbance of external influence of mobile phones.
"All inspecting officers, whether on regular inspection or surprise inspections, shall check whether compliance of these instructions is being made meticulously or not. In case of any violation, action against the head of school shall be proposed by the inspecting officer. If any substantive complaint is received from students or general public, that the guidelines are being violated on a campus, the head of that school shall be held squarely accountable," the statement added further.
These fresh guidelines have been issued in light of the observation that many teachers carry mobile phones to classrooms for personal and not professional use. This leads to misusing and diverting teachers hours to other unproductive purposes which in no way contribute to the academic improvement of schools.
"Mobile phone has recently emerged as the single gadget which has started consuming class time of some teachers. Social media or other entertainment scopes of mobile phones hardly contribute anything towards the syllabus which is to be taught to the students on the school campus," it said.
The statement also said that there might be circumstances when a teacher might want to use a mobile phone for creative academic purposes. "Yet, if in the name of rare creativity a no-holds-barred situation is allowed on the campuses, undesirable consequences are bound to rise".
(With Inputs from PTI)
Click here for more Education News
