Starting Tuesday, the Punjab government has banned mobile phone use in all government and private schools for both students and teachers. District education officers have been directed to strictly enforce the prohibition.
Teachers are now required to adhere to a dress code that includes coats, proper shoes, and watches. The decision follows complaints of teachers wasting time on their phones, leading to disciplinary issues and social media misuse in schools, according to officials.
The new guidelines, issued by the Punjab School Education Department, aim to enhance student welfare and maintain discipline. Teachers must leave their phones at the administration office, and violations will result in confiscation and disciplinary action. Students and teachers must visibly display school badges and ID cards.
Uniform regulations have also been tightened, mandating navy blue sweaters for students, with entry denied to those not in proper attire. Schools must publicly display timetables and patriotic slogans, designate class representatives, and ensure classwork is recorded in registers. Teachers will document attendance on blackboard corners.
Rana Liaqat Ali, Secretary General of the Punjab Teachers Union, praised the phone ban as a positive step but deemed it unnecessary, stating that most teachers already avoid phone use during school hours.