Pune Municipal Corporation logs on to parent workshops to tackle mobile addiction among students

Mahadev Jadhav, administrative officer, education department, PMC said, “We have observed that Internet and mobile addiction is affecting school grades, besides increased absenteeism. Expert guests at the workshops tell parents and students how to address these issues.”

Following the Delhi government education department’s decision on holding workshops and keeping a close watch on mobile and gaming addiction among school children, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) education department has also started conducting similar workshops.

The official said that children from lower socio-economic background study in municipal schools. As, in most cases, both parents would be working, the children are vulnerable to loneliness and exposed to ill hazards of social media. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The civic administration is holding awareness workshops at municipal schools to educate parents about the ill-effects of mobile and gaming addiction among children.

Mahadev Jadhav, administrative officer, education department, PMC said, “We have observed that Internet and mobile addiction is affecting school grades, besides increased absenteeism. Expert guests at the workshops tell parents and students how to address these issues.”

The official said that children from lower socio-economic background study in municipal schools. As, in most cases, both parents would be working, the children are vulnerable to loneliness and exposed to ill hazards of social media.

“Taking cognisance of this situation, we launched the workshops late last year and the results have been promising. The presence of parents and students at these meets has also improved and more students are attending classes also,” said Jadhav.

Ramesh Sonawane, principal, Hambirrao Moze School, Chandannagar said, “The students’ marks were getting affected and absenteeism was high, besides poor attendance at parents-teacher meets. The reason we found was children spending more time on mobile. Hence, the need for holding programmes to inform students and parents about the ill-effects of mobile addiction was crucial.”

Baban Vitukade, a driver, said, “My son is in Class 7 and used to score more than 90 per cent before mobile addiction made him stay aloof, avoid outdoor games and score poor marks. After attending the workshop in his school, we have stopped using mobile at home when he is around.”