Gujarat will be the first state to issue guidelines for teachers and parents-children so that children stay away from social media and give space to reading and sports in their lives, and the State Education Minister, Praful Pansheriya, in a statement said while expressing his hope that other states will take inspiration from Gujarat.
The prevalence of social media-smartphones among children has been increasing for some time across the country, due to which the reading ability and sports participation of children are also decreasing, concerned about which, State Education Minister Praful Pansheriya held a discussion with senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary of the Higher and Technical Education Department Sunaina Tomar, at Swarnim Complex-2, Gandhinagar, today on how to keep children away from the negative effects of social media-smartphones.
The minister said that a circular will be issued for children, parents, and teachers in consultation with the Children’s University and Teacher’s University, as well as the psychiatrist of the Civil Service, and a campaign will be started by worrying about the future of children.
Pansheriya said that the excessive use of social media and smartphones by children is affecting their physical and mental strength; rules will be made for parents and teachers to ensure that children use mobiles less and pay more attention to sports. In which teachers will be banned from using mobiles in the classroom, and strict steps will be taken to prevent primary school children from coming to school with mobiles.
Further, the minister added that instead of using social media smartphones, school teachers will be informed so that children stay involved in activities like reading and sports. At the same time, the minister requested the parents of the children not to use social media in front of their children, and parents should keep their children away from social media, worrying about the future of their children.
The minister requested NGOs, religious institutions, social workers, and media friends to join the campaign to keep children away from social media and smartphones and discussed with the Children’s University and Teacher’s University government how this campaign can reach more and more people. In every school, parents of children will be informed about the uses and disadvantages of social media through a short film. Only if parents and teachers are aware will children be able to stay away from social media, build their lives along with reading, and take care of their health by joining sports.