SHOULD MOBILES BE ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOM?

Ask any body in any educational institution today, whether mobile phones should be allowed on campus? Except for the Principal, and the management, what you get is a resounding "YES".
Why is this so?
Let us study the pro's and con's of carrying a mobile to class!

College students see it more as a status symbol, since they always want to be seen with the latest mobile phone.Sending SMS's is a favourite past-time, particularly in class or after midnight when SMS's are free. The favourite Bollywood movie, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, showed the hero, a medical student, copying during an exam using the hands-free. A couple of students got debarred from the exam trying to do the same.

School students have been caught listening to music, FM radio, and sending SMS's while the class was in progress. Though their cell phone will be switched to silent mode, the distraction persists. Their attention is always diverted waiting for a call. When teachers insist that cell phones should not ring in the classroom, they should also refrain from taking any call while teaching.

Most students argue that their parents have provided them with a mobile just to keep a check on their whereabouts.Obviously, the child is not being taught to be truthful, even with the cell he is going to be telling lies about his whereabouts. Some parents argue that we are living in a modern age and they would like to give the best of everything for their child. It becomes imperative, they say, that they have to coordinate between driver, tuitions, extra curricular activities and the like. That means parents must make the effort to create a timetable for the activities of the child and stick by it. When unforeseen circumstances arise, schools and colleges have landlines which the parent or the student can use. It will reinforce time management and organisational skills for all concerned.

Last week, cell phones have been completely banned from classrooms of kindergarten thro' 12. Even the staff is not allowed to carry them on campus. Surprise checks will be conducted regularly and defaulters will be punished, which may include a fine and confiscation of the cell phone.

This puts an end to all the debates going on in corridors of educational institutions.

.