Mita Mukherjee
Mobile phones have brought the entire world of knowledge at the fingertips of students, but every student should have a balanced approach in the use of the device, Reverend Paritosh Canning, bishop of the Calcutta Diocese of Church of North India (CNI) advised students.
One cannot deny that the mobile phone has come as a boon as any information a student would possibly need can be accessed easily at any point of time which makes students’ study process faster, easier and more convenient, the bishop said.
At the same time, he cautioned that mobile phones can become a curse. It is one of the “biggest distractions” in a student’s life, he said.
“Use of latest technology is necessary for growth of young students but uncontrolled use of mobile phones are bound to harm the academic career of all students including those who are meritorious,” Reverend Canning said felicitating toppers of 2023 Class XII board examinations at a programme organized by a social welfare organization called Reach Out Star Foundation, Kolkata.
The bishop who is the chairman of the boards of governors of all CNI schools under the Calcutta Diocese of the church, told EducationWorld on the sidelines of the programme that CNI schools will be more “vigilant”, about the excessive use of mobile phones considering the dangers that it poses. Though, he said the CNI schools students are always encouraged to make use of the latest technologies.
“We, at all our schools, follow a forward-looking approach for students’ growth and we always incorporate resources that are required for the development of students’ minds. But we strongly believe in maintaining a balanced approach in the use of mobile phones in order to ensure that a boon like this does not turn into a curse,” Reverend Canning told EducationWorld.
Some of the prominent CNI schools in Kolkata are La Martiniere, St James’, Pratt Memorial, St John’s Diocesan and St Thomas’.
When school students had to stay isolated at homes during lockdown and had to attend online classes, they became more technology dependent. With the reopening of schools after the pandemic, the majority of campuses across the country noticed an increased mobile phone addiction among students and school authorities adopted a number of measures to curb the menace.
Reverend Canning said, “There had been restrictions at CNI schools on use of mobile phones even before the pandemic. But we are now trying to be more vigilant to ensure that students stay away from scrolling all the time,” said Reverend Canning.
The president of the Reach Out Star Foundation, Shaheryaar Ali Mirza said the foundation is engaged in supporting needy and meritorious students and the programme Reach Out Start Award Ceremony 2023 was organized to celebrate the outstanding achievements of young students who have topped the Class XII board exams from various city schools.
“ A total of around 30 students were felicitated recognizing their hard work and perseverance. We are looking forward to honoring more students in future,” Mirza said.
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