Teachers at the Jateswar High School in the Falakata block of Alipurduar district have started using walkie-talkie sets for better communication across the large school campus.
The school authorities have adopted walkie-talkies, usually used by police, forest officials or security agencies, to address communication challenges during school hours after the state education department recently issued a notification prohibiting teachers from carrying cell phones into classrooms.
The higher secondary school, about 38km from the district headquarters, has more than 2,000 students and 32 teachers.
With such a large campus and a significant number of students, maintaining a peaceful environment and smooth coordination among teachers is essential.
Teachers earlier relied on cell phones to stay connected. Following the directive, they now keep their cell phones in lockers in the teachers’ common room and use them during their
free periods.
“After the notification from the education department, teachers stopped carrying mobile phones into classrooms. As our campus is quite large, it became difficult to reach out to the teachers quickly, especially when they were in class. To address this, we decided to introduce walkie-talkies for better communication. We have purchased some sets and plan to buy more so that every teacher can have one,” said Amit Kumar Dutta, teacher-in-charge of the school.
The school is currently using four walkie-talkie sets.
Dutta also explained that teachers could check their cell phones when they return to the common room during breaks.
“Gradually, it will become a habit. We are also exploring the option of keeping a single phone at the school office through which family members can contact the teachers in case of emergencies,”
he said.
A senior academician based in Alipurduar town said other schools could follow the practice.
“It is an effective decision that would also create awareness among students that they should abstain from using cell phones while attending classes or during studies, unless necessary,”
he said.