Noida schools told to cap smartboard use, retain regular board teaching

Schools across Gautam Buddh Nagar have been told to cut back on classroom screen time, with primary students limited to 30 minutes a day and upper-primary students to 60 minutes.

District magistrate Medha Roopam issued the circular after parents complained that some schools were displaying textbooks directly on pre-loaded smartboards and using screens extensively for lessons, question-and-answer sessions and homework. The administration said student screen exposure had reached four to five hours daily in some cases.

Smartboards should be used to explain difficult concepts or show essential pictures and videos, the circular said, rather than as a compulsory tool for every subject and activity. Schools must regularly use blackboards, greenboards or whiteboards for writing practice, discussions and other participatory work.

The directions also ask schools to follow the 20-20-20 rule: after every 20 minutes of screen use, students should look at an object about 20 feet away for a short break. Schools have been encouraged to include activity-based learning, stretching, outdoor games, reading, writing, storytelling and group work. When digital boards are used only for writing, schools should avoid unnecessary backlighting.