Other States - Himachal Pradesh   

Himachal Govt. bans use of mobiles in classroom

Shimla: With an aim to enforce strict discipline in educational institutions, the Himachal Pradesh Government has banned the use of mobile phones by teachers and students in the classroom.

“Use of mobile phones by teachers or students has been prohibited in the classroom in all the Government educational institutions right from primary level to college,” State’s Education Minister Ishwar Das Dhiman said on Wednesday.

In case of emergency, the teachers could use the cell phone in the staff room during free time, Mr. Dhiman, himself a former principal of a government high school, said. An order in this effect has already been issued, he said adding their aim was to prevent any distraction during study hours in educational institutions.

Teachers have to switch off their mobile phones as soon as they enter the premises of their respective institute, Mr. Dhiman said adding anybody found violating the order would be dealt with severely.

There are nearly 1,200 senior secondary schools, 1,000 high schools, 1,300 primary and middle schools and 65 colleges in Himachal Pradesh. Teachers and staff found participating in political activities like attending rallies or indulging in union activities during study hours would be punished, Mr. Dhiman said adding effort of the new BJP government in the hill State was to promote quality education.

He said the previous Virbhadra Singh Government had opened 187 senior secondary schools and 24 colleges “without making any infrastructural arrangements”.

“The new schools and colleges were opened with an eye on the assembly election but it failed to pay any dividend to the Congress,” he said.

Mr. Dhiman said surprise checks would be conducted in educational institutions to ensure that teachers and other faculty members became punctual.

The new order for the educational institutions came close on the heels of an instruction given by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to the state education department that students should not be brought to political rallies or made to stand on roadside for hours to welcome any politician during school hours.

He had also ordered to stop the use of educational centres for organising any political activity. — PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Himachal Govt. bans use of mobiles in classroom
Power pacts signed

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu