THE PROS AND CONS OF ALLOWING CELL-PHONES IN BOARDING SCHOOLS

According to school in Dehradun Smart-phones, today form an integral part of our human life. The organisational and communicative facilities provided by the smart-phones have made it a requirement in the present scenario. Its prevalence among youth and children is increasing by the day, and now there is hardly anyone who does not own a smart device.

Now the more relevant question comes into the picture. Should the smart-phones be allowed within the school and college campuses? The problem becomes even more concerning when Indian boarding school is in consideration. Several arguments are surrounding the topic which is in the favour as well as against the proposal. The advantages offered by this smart device cannot be denied, but it also comes with several disadvantages. Here is a compilation of the positive and the negative impacts of smart-phone uses by the students.

Advantages

• Fantastic tool in cases of emergencies:- Parents favour the provision of cell-phones for their children with the prime focus of the safety and security concerns. A cell-phone has enabled the student or a child to quickly contact and seek the assistance of the elders when the situations go wrong. Life is very unpredictable, and some instances of fire, violence, medical emergencies and attacks can take place without prior conceptions. In such situations, a mobile device can act as a blessing and a life saviour. Imagining such conditions without a cell phone seems to be very dangerous and sometimes even life-threatening.
• Constant Contact:- Children living in a boarding school may face loneliness and deficient communication. Therefore, mobile phones can help them being in continuous contact with their parents or friends. This way, they will not feel secluded and will be better in facing various difficulties. They can seek support and advice of their parents and feel solace in their guidance. Parents can also live without worry, as they are able to keep track of their ward and be assured of their well-being.
• Location Tracking:- This can be seen as another significant advantage. The location of the child can be tracked with the help of the smart-phone. In case a child gets lost or wanders off unnecessarily, he/she can be located using the Ip or the Mac address of the cell-phone. It also becomes easier to contemplate the whereabouts of the child.
• Difficult Enforcement of Ban:- Smart-phones have become so imperative that now possibly our life depends on them. Several tasks are done keeping with the help of the smart-phones and therefore, imposing a ban on its use cannot be achieved easily. A majority of backlash received may pose several problems, and the decision may not come out to be a successful one.

Disadvantages

Like a coin, this situation also has two sides. Here are a few problems of allowing a smart-phone in the school campus:-

• Major Source Of Distraction:- Smart-phones are addictive. They are filled with numerous apps that can deter the concentration and working capacities of the students. Students nowadays spend hours engrossed in their smart-phones scrolling through various social media apps, chatting and playing online games. This can significantly affect a student’s performance as they might not pay attention to the studies and the various other activities in schools.
• Cheating:- With the advent of the mobile and smart-phone technology, an increase in the number of cheating cases have reported. Deception and fraud is an illegal act, and it defeats the purpose of examination. A smart-phone provides easy access to an unlimited source of information. Students find it very easy to copy answers from their smart-phone devices. This is a serious concern, and therefore preventive measure should be taken.

Preventive Measures

Here are a few steps that can be followed to boil down the ill-effects of the smart-phone usage in the boarding schools:-

• Allot a particular time of the day to the students for using their smart-phone devices.
• In case of emergencies, students should be allowed to use an accessible source of communication. Install alarms and warning signals and educate the students about their functionalities.
• Make sure that every student has handed over their smart-phones to the invigilator before the commencement of any exam or test. Indulge in the personal inspection of the student for the same.
• Another GPS device can be provided to the student for location tracking.
• Students can be allowed to carry their devices for full time when going out for trips or outings. In such cases, it becomes a necessity and provides security.
• Educate and aware the students about the ill-effects and cons of over-using smart-phone devices.
• Encourage the students to switch off their devices when attending a lecture or a class.

Although the smart-phone has several disadvantages, it’s advantages out-weighs them. A complete ban on its usage does not seem to be a possibility in the near future; hence its optimum utilisation should be promoted.