Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on teachers to work closely with parents to address excessive screen time among children and encourage them to develop healthier interests in sports, physical games and creative activities.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while interacting with the winners of the National Teachers Awards at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg on Friday.
During the interaction, PM Modi described excessive screen use as a major concern and urged teachers to discuss children’s mobile-phone habits with their parents.
He encouraged teachers to pay attention to whether children spend long periods on screens or continue using mobile phones late at night.
According to the Prime Minister, helping children develop interests in sports, physical activities and creative pursuits can encourage them to gradually reduce excessive screen use.
PM Modi emphasised that teachers should not focus only on children’s academic results. He urged them to remain attentive to children’s behaviour, interests and everyday lives.
He also highlighted the changing family environment, including the decline of the traditional joint-family system, saying that teachers have an increasingly important role in children’s lives.
The Prime Minister also asked teachers to remain alert to changes in children’s behaviour and help them address challenges such as drug use.
He called upon educators to understand the underlying causes of such problems and support children in overcoming harmful habits.
PM Modi further stressed the importance of preserving the innocence and curiosity of childhood, saying teachers can make a significant contribution by nurturing and appropriately directing children’s curiosity.
A total of 82 teachers and educators have been selected for this year’s National Teachers Awards from three departments.
The awardees include:
- 48 teachers from the Department of School Education and Literacy
- 21 teachers and faculty members from Higher Educational Institutions and Polytechnics
- 13 skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
During the interaction, the award winners shared experiences and innovations from their teaching careers, including creative methods used to make classroom learning more engaging and effective.
Referring to the National Education Policy (NEP), PM Modi emphasised the importance of taking children beyond conventional classroom learning and exposing them to real-world skills and different forms of work.
He urged teachers to go beyond the syllabus and help students develop values such as the dignity of labour.
The focus, he said, should extend from simply imparting knowledge to supporting the broader development of children.
