Do children really need phones in UAE schools? Parents speak out

Phones in school have been a topic of debate for… well, ever since mobile phones first appeared. Back in my school days in Delhi, India, students would leave their phones on the class teacher’s desk and collect them at the end of the day to call their parents or cab drivers to get home. It was always a thorny issue, and many teenagers openly resented the strict rules.

And that was 2007. In 2025, the debate persists and this time in UAE. Recently, the Ministry of Education announced a ban on bringing mobile phones into school premises and, at the same time, established clear regulations for inspection and confiscation of phones found in students’ possession. A circular was addressed to school principals and kindergartens regarding the prohibition of mobile phones into the school grounds. The decision is aimed to protect students from the risks associated with carrying phones and to promote positive behaviour within a safe learning environment.

While this is mostly aimed at public schools in the UAE, private schools have taken a more tempered approach to mobile phones. Nevertheless, what do parents really feel about it? Do children truly need phones in school, or can they manage without them? Some believe that banning phones is for the best, while others prefer a more middle-ground approach.

Parents weigh in

For instance, Sumit Augustine, a Dubai-based mother, believes it isn’t appropriate for children—especially those aged 8–10—to have mobile phones in school. “I remember I had my first phone when I was 15 years old and that too, only because I had to use it to call my parents to pick me up from my afternoon tuition classes which was after school and, or on weekends.”

She explains that her school had a strict ‘no mobile phone’ policy and handled emergencies directly. “The school would call our parents and inform them. Our parents knew that we were going to school in the morning, and because we had school transport, they knew we would be coming back home only after school, so they did not see the need to equip us with mobile phones when we were in school.

Even today, she notices younger children using phones on school buses. “I often wonder, how is it even allowed in their school,” she says.

While some parents lean toward a stricter approach, other schools have experimented with solutions that let kids stay connected without creating distractions.

‘Phones away in pouches’

Asha Sherwood, founder of Abu Dhabi Review, recalls her school’s approach, last year. The head teacher had pushed on the fact that phones were indeed distracting for a children, and provided a presentation on statistics, sources to show the effect it has on children. However, as she explains, parents were concerned as they would still need to get a hold on their children after school. “Or, if an activity is cancelled, or class finishes earlier, so what they introduced was these pouches. You put your phone in it, it’s locked by a magnet, and at the end of the day you unlock it.”

For her, this system offered the best of both worlds. “I don’t mind the pouches. My daughter is 12, nearly 13, and I need her to have a phone. My older kids need phones to book a Careem or call a cab. The pouches are a good idea—it means children have their phones, but they’re not a distraction during school time."

A step in the right direction?

Building on these approaches, Smita Abraham, a transformational coach in Dubai, believes the phone ban in classrooms is a step in the right direction. “My kids go to Gems Modern Academy Dubai, and the school restricts phone usage in school, but not strictly adhered to.” While she does agree that the phone usage in classrooms should be banned, she notes that parents also lament that the tablet use can’t be helped. “Having said that, the phone should only be kept away from classrooms and not necessarily from school,” she says.

Abraham also notes: People are so used to having the convenience of phone to keep in touch and feel reassured of each other’s presence and safety. “Parents, and children, shouldn’t be robbed of that chance to be in touch,” she explains.  If possible, authorities can take the steps to make sure kids leave the phone in their lockers, and reducing its unsupervised access.

A distraction, and possible bullying

No doubt, the main reason parents give their children a phone for school is to stay in touch. But phones also spark another age-old debate: Screen time and distractions. For students, phones can pull focus away from studies—or, even worse, expose them to cyberbullying.

Vishakha Abbi, Behaviour Strategist at Mind Path UAE, who has her own podcast How to Human that offers parenting advice as well as advice among other issues, explains: “The first thing I would say to parents is, if their child is in public school, do not panic. Most parents give phones to their children to stay in contact in case of an emergency. But phones can be distracting—they have internet access, Instagram, and other apps. And, there’s a propensity for children to cheat; it doesn’t mean they will, but the temptation is there.”

Abbi also highlights a more serious worry and concern: The threat of cyberbullying. And this, can go on through WhatsApp, Insatagram or SnapChat.

And bullying can scar a child brutally, sometimes for life. So, as she notes, the lack of phones in the school environment can also reduce the likelihood of online bullying, and help with concentration, benefitting their social development and interaction. After all, it is school, one of the most formative environments in a child’s life.

As the world grows more towards a culture where people are heavily reliant on phones, it’s best that schools focus more teaching children basic skills of interaction.

Advice for parents

If your school has implemented a school ban, have the conversation with your teenager as they might feel it’s a punishment. “It’s usually because the school wants them to develop other skills, and exercise their intellectual muscles,” adds Abbi.

As Abbi explains, there is much value in children’s development, in hearing a question and going to find the answer. It can spark curiosity and encourage the love for a subject. Referring to her own example, she found an interest in Egyptology, and what started as just watching a documentary, led her to the library and then a British museum seeing an actual Mummy. “If I hadn’t had that experience away from phones and screens, I wouldn’t have had this core memory experience.”

Her second suggestion is, to alleviate anxiety about not having a phone in school. So, if the phone’s main purpose is to contact parents, make sure they have alternate arrangements, such as access to payphones, or office phones, but just having a formal procedure will set both of you at ease.