Delhi HC says ban on smartphones in schools impractical, suggests guidelines: ‘teach students responsible behaviour’

In August 2023, the DoE issued an advisory banning the use of mobile phones in classrooms and during teaching and learning activities on the premises of all schools in Delhi.

The court, however, opined that the advisory “only lays-down very broad instructions to prevent the misuse of smartphones in schools.” In its guidelines, the court has clearly outlined that “as a matter of policy students should not be barred from carrying smartphones to school” but its use “must be regulated and monitored.”

To this effect, the court has recorded that “where it is possible to make arrangements for safekeeping of smartphones, students should be required to deposit their smartphones when they enter school and take them back when returning home.”

To ensure classroom teaching discipline, the court has recommended that the “use of smartphones in class must be prohibited” and the “use of cameras and recording facility on smartphones should also be barred in the common areas of the school as well as in school vehicles.”

The court order prescribes that “schools must educate students on responsible online behaviour, digital manners, and the ethical use of smartphones” and that students must be counselled that high levels of screen time and social media engagement can lead to anxiety, diminished attention spans, and cyber-bullying.

In its guiding principles for framing a policy, the court has outlined that such a policy “should permit the use of smartphones for connectivity for purposes of safety and coordination but disallow the use of smartphones for entertainment/recreational use.”

It has said that the policy on regulating and monitoring the use of smartphones in school should be made in consultation with parents, educators, and experts, to evolve a balanced approach that addresses the needs and concerns of all parties involved; and that schools should have the discretion to implement policies that fit their unique situations, whether that involves allowing limited use of smartphones in specified areas of the school or enforcing stricter bans, including bans during specific times and events.

“The policy should establish transparent, fair, and enforceable consequences for violation of the rules for use of smartphones in school, ensuring consistent application without being excessively harsh. Possible consequences could include confiscation of smartphones for a certain time-period; or barring a student from carrying a smartphone for specified number of days, as a measure of disciplining an errant student,” the court has recommended.

The court has also added that such a policy should be “regularly reviewed and revised” to tackle emerging challenges, given the fast-paced advancement of technology.