Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Parley by The Hindu
Episode: Should there be a blanket ban on smartphones in schools?
Description: India has 1.2 billion mobile phone users and over 600 million smartphone users. That figure is expected to cross a billion by 2026, according to a Deloitte study, indicating that a future world will be dependent on these small devices. However, one place where smartphone usage has become controversial is the classroom. Last month, UNESCO recommended a universal ban on the usage of smartphones in schools, saying that it was needed to tackle classroom disruption, improve learning, and help protect children from cyberbullying. In an advisory dated August 10, titled “Restrictions on the use of mobile phones in school premises under ru...