Restricting Mobile Phones in Schools
Credible reports of students from reputed schools in Dimapur getting into confrontation with each other over petty issues is a growing concern that needs appropriate response at all levels. A few weeks’ back local media had widely reported about how students from different schools were nearly involved in a fist-fight on the streets ahead of teacher’s day. Apparently the confrontation arose from an ‘SMS’. Timely intervention from the DNSU and the police prevented it from turning into an all-out brawl. The behaviour of some of our young people is not very encouraging. They have no respect for authority or their teachers. They are prone to ‘misbehaving’ and bunking classes. Recently the Dimapur Naga Students Union (DNSU) rounded up several students for drinking and loitering around booze joints. Even the way they are dressed is unbecoming of what a student should be like. The school authorities should work closely with the concerned parents in rooting out such indiscipline. Besides, more needs to be done by the schools themselves to keep a strict vigil on students. If students end up in booze joints during school hours, there is also something wrong with the school management. Parents must also share the blame for the sorry state of our young children. This is also a reflection of our society, our family life which is itself facing a moral crisis. Unless we become good role models and lead by example, our children cannot be expected to become good themselves. The problem of indiscipline among school children is therefore not so simple. It will require appropriate action at all levels whether in the family, school, church and society at large. It is a common challenge and not just the responsibility of the schools alone. It is also important therefore to have frequent interaction between the stake holders. Reforming our society and thereby inculcating the right values in our children will require time and consistent effort.
In the short term we can take other immediate measures that can lessen some of the problems. For one it is clear that students have easy access to mobile phone technology and as a result, this is being misused. SMS text messages are being used to issue threats and call for confrontation. What is even more worrying is that such disputes are not just personal but rather it is taking the form of ‘ganging’ up against one another, between schools. The few students involved in such misadventures should be identified and their parents summoned and if required disciplinary action should be taken so that such unruly elements are not allowed to breed into our school system. This newspaper has in its record, one such text message where it mentions about 2 or 3 schools ganging up against another group of schools. While the concerned schools should take serious note of such unwanted activities and behaviour, it is hereby suggested in this column that mobile phones in schools should be restricted or if need be even banned. Fifty years or even ten years ago we did not need mobile phones to be in schools and learn our lessons. We can survive without mobile phones at least when we are in schools. Besides the misuse of such technology, mobile phones can be very distracting and this is not something that we should encourage in a school environment when we have to study and learn. Schools should seriously look at ways to curb this menace. If not a complete ban atleast restriction on use of mobile phones during school is something that needs a serious look in.
