School managements have started counselling for parents to help them restrict their children in using gadgets. Some schools are also asking students to fill in worksheets to keep track of the time they spend with devices, and are given guidelines to reduce usage.
Dakshayani Kanna, principal of Harvest International School, said students from class 5 onwards are asked to fill in worksheets that track how much time students spend on gaming, laptop, and the mobile phone. “The aim is to make them realise how much time they are spending with these gadgets. We ask those spending a large chunk of their time on gadgets, to shift to other activities such as physical activity or playing sports. The counsellors also conduct follow-up sessions with such students,” she said.
Mansoor Ali Khan, board member, Delhi Public Group of Schools, said while the amount of time spent using tech tools in schools as a learning aid is controlled, there is a need to ensure that parents have a control on the time spent on these at home. “Most parents do not acknowledge that this is a problem. Parents give in to their children and allow them access to phone and iPad at home. This affects the child’s sensory and motor skills,” he said. He also said tech addition would affect the concentration and academic performance of the child. The school conducts workshops for parents on the impact of technology.
