UAE Schools Crack Down on Student Phones as Confiscations Replace Warnings
Schools in the United Arab Emirates are increasingly enforcing mobile phone policies, with some schools already confiscating mobile phones that are brought onto school grounds by students.
Mobile phones are not allowed during the school day and have been advertised in circulars to parents by public and private schools. The schools stated that the restrictions are meant to provide a secure and distraction free learning environment and to assist students to stay on task with their lessons.
The new method is different from previous ones, which primarily involved warnings or requesting students to turn off their devices. Schools are now more proactive in responding to students who are discovered with phones during school time.
School leaders have attributed the bans to better focus and achievement in school and to promoting responsible behaviour among students.
The transfer also reflects the increasing difficulty schools have in regulating students’ use of personal technology during the school day. Mobile phones can be used for communication and information but can be a distraction in the classroom and impact on student learning.
Parents have been made aware of the tougher enforcement via school circulars and schools have emphasised the need for compliance with the rules.
The measures are being put in place in both public and private schools, but may be implemented differently in each school.
The changes will have an impact on students, as a mobile phone may now be confiscated if it is brought to school instead of just a warning.
The crackdown is part of a broader initiative by schools to strike a balance between technology use and students’ learning, wellbeing and safety during the school day.
