NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon teachers to remain alert to signs of drug abuse among students and help children reduce excessive screen time by encouraging sports, physical activities and creative pursuits.
Modi made the remarks while interacting with National Teachers Award recipients on Friday, on the eve of Teachers’ Day. He urged educators to protect childhood and nurture the natural curiosity of children, saying their role should extend beyond academic performance and classroom learning.
The prime minister asked teachers to adopt innovative methods to make lessons more engaging and develop a closer understanding of students’ behaviour and daily lives. He noted that with joint family structures becoming less common, teachers have assumed greater responsibility in shaping children’s lives.
Speaking about drug addiction, Modi said the problem can be difficult to detect in large cities and universities, where it may not be easy to know how students are being exposed to drugs.
“In these circumstances, teachers should take the initiative for awareness and also observe minutely if any change (in behaviour) is witnessed in any child,” he said.
Modi also urged teachers to go beyond textbooks and syllabuses and take an active interest in students’ overall development.
“You should not allow the childhood of a student to die. The biggest contribution can be given by the teachers by keeping childhood alive in students’ lives,” he said.
The prime minister highlighted growing concerns over excessive screen use among children and asked teachers to discuss the issue with parents, including the amount of time children spend on mobile phones and whether they use devices late into the night.
He said encouraging children to participate in outdoor sports, physical games and creative activities could help reduce screen dependence naturally.
Referring to the National Education Policy, Modi stressed the need to take learning beyond classrooms by exposing students to real-world experiences, practical skills and different forms of work.
He also praised a teacher who spoke about creating awareness about breast cancer among women in her neighbourhood. Modi recalled a breast cancer awareness campaign launched in his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, and said an increasing number of women were coming forward for screening, with the campaign also achieving a Guinness World Record.
A video of the interaction held at the prime minister’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence was released on Saturday.
A total of 82 teachers and educators have been selected for this year’s National Teachers Awards. Of them, 48 are from the Department of School Education and Literacy, 21 are teachers or faculty members from higher educational institutions and polytechnics, and 13 are skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.