Gautam Buddh Nagar Caps School Screen Time at 30 to 60 Minutes Daily
The Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration has directed government, aided, and private schools across Noida and Greater Noida to strictly restrict students' daily screen time. Under the new guidelines, screen exposure must not exceed 30 minutes per day in primary classes and 60 minutes in upper-primary classes.
The directive follows complaints from parents' associations that students in several schools were spending between four and five hours a day looking at smart and digital boards. Parents raised concerns that screens were being used continuously for textbooks, classwork, question-answer sessions, and homework.
The administration clarified that while smart boards serve as supplementary teaching aids, their excessive use must not compromise students' health, academic performance, sports, or physical activities. Schools have been instructed to reserve digital boards primarily for explaining complex concepts and showing relevant videos, pictures, or teaching materials.
For regular writing, practice exercises, participatory activities, and question-answer sessions, institutions have been ordered to use traditional blackboards, whiteboards, or greenboards.
The guidelines also mandate appropriate classroom lighting and screen brightness, proper seating distance from displays, and breaks after approximately 20 minutes of screen use. For online classes, schools must follow NCERT standards regarding session length and breaks alongside the 20-20-20 practice.
Additionally, schools must organise quarterly eye examinations for students and share the findings with parents. If children exhibit symptoms such as eye irritation, headaches, or blurred vision, schools must inform parents and seek medical assistance. The administration has also encouraged schools to implement digital-free periods, digital zero days, and digital detox activities alongside sports, creative work, and reading.
Designated magistrates and nodal officers have been assigned to monitor compliance and submit inspection reports through the District Inspector of Schools, Gautam Buddh Nagar.
