Prohibition of phone usage for teachers during classes – Times of India

The Ahmedabad City District Education Officer (DEO) and District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) have issued a circular recently reiterating that teachers are prohibited from using phones during classes. In 2010, the state education department issued an order prohibiting schoolteachers from using their phones while they are in the classrooms.

However, as this order was not followed properly, and many teachers were found using their phones in the classrooms, the DEOs have issued this circular.
Sources said that the earlier order by the education department had instructed teachers to leave their phones in the principal’s office before taking a class. However, this order was not followed by most of the schools and teachers kept their phones with them while teaching.

The DEO and DPEO’s order ask teachers to turn their phones in silent mode, and hand over phones to the principal before taking a class. However, teachers will be allowed to take their phones to classrooms only for academic purposes.
Sources said that such circulars don’t mean much as the departments don’t take any action to ensure that the order is being followed at schools.