Delhi Government Enforces Mobile Phone Ban, Launches Foreign Language Program, and Adopts Online Attendance System in Schools

The Delhi Government has issued a directive prohibiting the use of mobile phones by both students and teachers within classrooms, laboratories, and playgrounds across public and private schools.

The Directorate of Education (DoE) recently issued a notification emphasizing that parents must ensure their children refrain from bringing mobile phones onto school premises.

The directive outlines that schools are responsible for securely storing any mobile phones brought to school and returning them to students at the end of the school day.

The order extends to educators and staff, who are urged to abstain from mobile phone use in areas where educational activities occur, such as classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and playgrounds.

School administrators have been instructed to establish helpline numbers for students and parents to access in the event of emergencies, ensuring a swift response system.

The Delhi government has introduced an innovative pilot project to equip students with valuable linguistic skills and to prepare them for a globally interconnected professional landscape.

This initiative introduces foreign language instruction in 58 government schools, encompassing French, German, and Japanese languages. Targeting students in Classes 6 and 7, the program is designed to be phased in during the Academic Session 2023-24.

The Directorate of Education highlighted the necessity of nurturing linguistic proficiency to effectively navigate the challenges of an evolving globalized world.

A paradigm shift in attendance tracking practices has also been instated, as Delhi government schools transition to an online attendance system. Teachers will now mark students’ attendance using tablets or the school’s computer system, with manual attendance records becoming obsolete.

This digitally driven attendance data will hold significance in determining students’ eligibility for final examinations, according to an official circular.

“The online attendance records will serve as the definitive attendance record for examinations. The data submitted by class teachers and schools through the online system will be centrally registered at the HQ level,” stated the DoE.

Stating the importance of active student participation in the learning process, the DoE underscores the role of physical presence in optimizing educational outcomes.

Official Release: 7100_7104_dt_10082023.PDF (edudel.nic.in)