Noida schools told to cap daily screen time at 30-60 minutes
Noida Administration Sets Screen Time Limits for Students Amid Health Concerns
Bharatmorningnews.com – Parents in Noida and Greater Noida have raised alarms about excessive screen exposure, prompting the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration to issue new guidelines. Following numerous complaints that children were spending between four to five hours daily on smart and digital boards, officials have mandated maximum screen durations of 30 minutes for primary-level pupils and 60 minutes for upper-primary students.
The directive, announced on Thursday, extends to every government, aided, and private educational institution within the district. Designated magistrates alongside nodal officers have been assigned the responsibility of overseeing adherence to these measures.
Addressing Parental Concerns
According to the administration, parents' associations expressed dissatisfaction with how smart and digital boards were being utilized. Rather than serving as supplementary tools, these boards were reportedly being used continuously for displaying textbooks, conducting classwork, facilitating question-answer sessions, and assigning homework.
"Smart and digital boards are a supplementary medium to make teaching more effective, but their continuous and unnecessary use should not affect the health, studies, sports and other activities of students," the statement noted.
Officials highlighted that extended screen exposure may lead to various issues including eye strain, short-sightedness, headaches, diminished concentration, and other physical and behavioral challenges among young learners.
New Guidelines for Classroom Technology
The updated framework emphasizes "limited, balanced and purposeful use of smart boards and digital boards" while prioritizing student wellbeing and holistic development. Schools must ensure that screen time remains within the specified limits for each educational level.
Smart boards should primarily serve to explain complex concepts and showcase pictures, videos, and essential teaching resources instead of constantly displaying textbook content. For writing exercises, practice sessions, interactive Q&A, and participatory activities, institutions must regularly employ blackboards, whiteboards, or greenboards.
Additional requirements include maintaining appropriate screen brightness and classroom illumination, ensuring students sit at proper distances from displays, and offering breaks approximately every 20 minutes of screen usage.
Health Monitoring and Digital Wellness
For virtual learning sessions, educational institutions must comply with NCERT recommendations concerning session lengths and rest periods. The 20-20-20 protocol requires students to gaze at an object positioned at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds following each 20-minute screen interval.
Schools have been instructed to encourage activity-based learning, reading, writing, sports, group exercises, and physical movement. When pupils exhibit symptoms like eye irritation, headaches, or blurred vision, administrators must promptly notify parents and obtain medical consultation as needed.
Quarterly eye examinations are now mandatory, with results communicated to families. School management committees must deliberate on balanced technology usage and student health, documenting discussions to share during parent-teacher meetings.
Furthermore, institutions are encouraged to implement "digital-free periods, digital zero days and digital detox" initiatives, giving children sufficient opportunities for sports, creative pursuits, reading, and social engagement away from digital devices.
Designated magistrates and nodal officers will oversee compliance within their assigned schools and forward reports through the District Inspector of Schools for Gautam Buddh Nagar, completing the monitoring framework.
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