New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The Delhi government has asked all the schools in the national capital to lay down a policy on the use of smartphones by students while attending school.

A circular was issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) against the backdrop of the Delhi High Court order, which had issued a slew of guidelines for the use of smartphones in schools, saying that while students should not be barred from carrying smartphones but their use must be regulated and monitored.

"The Hon'ble court has drawn up guiding principles to balance the beneficial and deleterious effects of permitting the use of smartphones in the hands of students while attending school. Accordingly, all the heads of government, government-aided & unaided recognised private schools of Delhi are hereby directed to develop a policy on the above said matter at the school level and implement the same,” said the circular issued on Thursday.

In an order passed in March this year, the Delhi High Court said that schools must educate students on responsible online behaviour, digital manners, and the ethical use of smartphones.

A bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani stressed that students must be counselled that high levels of screen time and social media engagement can lead to anxiety, diminished attention spans and cyber-bullying.

"Smartphones must not disrupt classroom teaching, discipline, or the overall educational atmosphere. To this end, the use of smartphones in class must be prohibited," it had said.

Further, the bench had said that the mobile usage policy should permit the use of smartphones for connectivity for purposes of safety and coordination, but disallow their use for entertainment or recreational use.

The policy on regulating and monitoring the use of smartphones in school should be made in consultation with parents, educators, and experts to evolve a balanced approach that addresses the needs and concerns of all parties involved, it added.

The Delhi High Court clarified that schools should have the discretion to implement policies that fit their unique situations, whether that involves allowing limited use of smartphones in specified areas of the school or enforcing stricter bans, including bans during specific times and events.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) had urged the Delhi High Court to lay down guidelines for the use of smartphones in schools. "It is observed that though certain guidelines have been issued by the CBSE and the KVS as far back as in the year 2009, evidently the guidelines have not borne the desired result," said the Justice Bhambhani-led Bench.

It added that even the more recent advisory issued by the DoE in 2023 only lays down very broad instructions to prevent the misuse of smartphones in schools.

"Importantly, the aforementioned guidelines proceed on the fundamental premise that the use of smartphones in school should be banned. This court would observe that much has changed in the past years as regards the use of technology, including for educational and other related purposes. In the opinion of this court, therefore, a complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and unworkable approach," the bench said.

Without detracting from the deleterious and harmful effects that arise from the indiscriminate use and misuse of smartphones in school, the Delhi High Court was of the view that smartphones also serve several salutary purposes, including as devices that help with coordination between parents and the children, which adds to the safety and security of students attending school. It drew up the guiding principles which would serve to balance the beneficial and deleterious effects of permitting the use of smartphones in the hands of students while attending school.

During the course of the hearing, the Delhi High Court invited submissions, suggestions and material from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and from the KVS.