Peer pressure, cheap smartphones, cheaper tariff plans push mobiles into school space
Officially, schools don’t have students carrying mobilephones but the menace still lurks. “The policy is not imposed. It is a circularthat instructs what is to be followed by schools” says the Headmistress ofMargao based Adarsh V.V. High School refusing to be named. The Headmistress istalking about the Department of Education’s circular that tells children inschools should not carry mobile phones unless for urgent/special reasons with permission.The question is, how seriously is the direction followed?
In the concluding part of I AM THE GOAN’s tri-part series onsafety in schools, The Goan’s investigation has taken it to an issue that wethought was a safety mechanism for our children but what is emerging is thefact that even mobile phones in the hands of children may emerge as a safetyhazard. “Cheaper smartphones with chats, social networks and Bluetooth andcurious kids make a lethal combination”, says IT Consultant Venkatesh Prabhu. A father of an eleven year old, Venkateshrecalls with horror parents of primary and secondary school giving mobilephones to their children to stay in touch. “You might think that you gave yourchild a zero balance phone but what if s/he accidentally gave a missed call toa predator without realizing it? Accidents don’t happen announced”, addsPrabhu. But then not everybody is worried. Schools acknowledge the problem butdo not see it as a cause for concern in the wake of stringent checks andbalances.
Not just Panjim but schools in Margao, Ponda, Vasco andMapusa and even schools in smaller towns of Goa. The phenomenon more witnessedin secondary sections from classes six till ten. “Yes, we still do catchchildren carrying mobile phones. All age groups carry mobile phones though thetrend has shown a marked decrease ever since students have come to know thattheir parent’s permission is required”, confesses Headmaster of a reputed Pondabased school. Schools across the state are now witnessing students applying forpermission to carry mobile phones for a particular day. “But other times themobile is brought to school by mistake or by accident. Sometimes to fool aroundand sometimes even to show off”, admits the Headmistress, Adarsh at MargaoSchool. With internet and social networks readily available on phones, the riskfactor of minors getting influenced by a big bad world cannot be ruledout.
“Crime has grown younger. Close on the heels of Vascoincident a fifteen year old sodomised an eight year old. Where would he havelearnt such an obnoxious thing” asks Tara Kerkar of Savera Trust, that forcedthe Government into action after the seven year old’s rape in a Vasco school.But then all is not bad too. “Children do not need phones, if they do need tocall they can use the office phone. Phones spoil the children, they aredestructive to the children’s growth. We confiscate if we catch someone withit”, informs Joy D’Souza, Principal, Mother of Mercy School, Vasco.
But the verdict is still out as to how much of technologycan we use to ensure security of our children in schools and whether mobilescould give unwarranted freedom to our children. Do tell us if rules have to beamended for giving mobile phones to children in school or the present monitoringby schools is fine. As always write to us at iamthegoan@thegoan.net or postyour views on our Facebook page or tweet to us at our Twitter account(@thegoanonsat). We will be publishing all your views.
