Our Consulting Editor, Advocate Anjana Bhatia D.I is an accomplished Indian Lawyer practicing in India and the UAE. She has over 25 years of experience in Law – Litigation, Corporate, Civil, Criminal, Mediation as well as registered with DIFC Wills and Probate Registry. She provides legal solutions to clients globally with strategic results.
As an expert of UAE laws and rules, Adv. Anjana Bhatia D.I answers a few significant questions during an internal discussion with Emirates Reporter’s team on the mobile phone ban in UAE schools and repercussions.
AS TOLD TO CHIEF EDITOR RAJNI RANI (editor@emiratesreporter.com)
E.R- What legal framework underpins the prohibition on mobile phones in UAE schools?
ADV. ANJANA- The prohibition on mobile phones is derived from Ministerial Resolution No. (851) of 2018 on the Student Behavior Management Regulations, which classifies bringing a mobile phone or misusing communication devices on school premises as a second-degree violation. The Ministry of Education has circulated this regulation to all government schools and to private schools following the national curriculum, aligning enforcement with broader educational discipline and student safety policies.
E.R- How are schools legally required to handle inspections under this policy?
ADV. ANJANA- School administrations must carry out periodic inspection campaigns to detect mobile phones, but must do so in a way that respects students’ rights and privacy. Inspectors are explicitly prohibited from touching students’ bodies, and searches are limited to bags or personal items displayed by the students themselves in front of inspection committees. This procedure is designed to comply with UAE legal principles on personal privacy within educational settings.
E.R- What are the legally sanctioned consequences for a student found with a phone?
ADV. ANJANA- If a student is found in possession of a mobile phone on school premises, the school is required to confiscate it under a phased disciplinary approach holding the device for one calendar month for the first offence, and withholding it until the end of the academic year for repeated violations. Parents are immediately notified of the breach and must sign the official confiscation form when the phone is seized and the return form when it is released, ensuring accountability and transparency in line with the Ministry’s mobile‑phone ban and student behavior regulations.
E.R- What additional disciplinary measures can schools take beyond confiscation?
ADV. ANJANA- The policy allows schools to impose further disciplinary measures when a mobile phone is used inappropriately or disruptively. Beyond merely holding the device, schools may apply disciplinary actions outlined in the Student Behavior Management Regulations for example, excluding a student from extracurricular activities such as clubs or school trips, issuing formal warnings, or applying behavioral monitoring when misuse involves illegal, unethical, or harmful conduct. These additional steps are intended to reinforce responsible behavior and uphold the school’s duty to maintain a safe, respectful, and focused learning environment for all students.
E.R- What obligations do schools have in terms of parental communication?
ADV. ANJANA- When a mobile phone violation occurs, schools must immediately notify the student’s parents and involve them in the administrative process in line with the Ministry’s regulations. This means the school contacts the parents promptly to inform them of the incident and the action taken, and requires their attendance to review the situation and sign the relevant official forms including the confiscation form at the time the device is seized and the return form when it is released. These steps ensure that parents are fully informed and actively engaged in the disciplinary process, supporting the Ministry’s goal of cooperation between families and schools to maintain discipline and student safety.
E.R- What are the legal risks if a school fails to enforce or comply with the ministry’s directives?
ADV. ANJANA- Failure by a school to implement the Ministry of Education’s mobile phone directives or consistently apply the Student Behavior Management Regulations is considered an administrative violation under UAE education policy, and the Ministry may subject the institution to formal accountability measures to ensure compliance. This underscores the legal responsibility of school administrations to enforce the mobile phone ban as part of their duty of care in maintaining a safe, disciplined, and regulation‑compliant learning environment; neglecting these obligations may lead to oversight actions or corrective directives from the Ministry.
“The above is a general overview; outcomes differ from case to case and are subject to the discretion of the concerned authorities.”
ADVOCATE ANJANA BHATIA D.I CAN BE CONTACTED AT-
Mobile: +971505944896
Website: www.ajureadvocates.com
Email- anjana@ajureadvocates.com
