Call to reduce screen time in classrooms
A coalition of clinicians has warned that the growing use of technology in English schools is driving an increase in health problems among pupils, singling out short-sightedness as a particular concern. They are urging schools and policymakers to cut the amount of time children spend using screens during the school day to help avoid longer-term health consequences.
The group says that routine classroom practice has shifted in many places toward greater reliance on screen-based devices, and that this trend is associated with a rise in vision issues. While the clinicians stopped short of calling for the removal of technology from classrooms altogether, they recommend limits on continuous screen use and a re-evaluation of how digital tools are deployed in teaching.
The appeal highlights the need to balance educational benefits of technology with potential health impacts. The clinicians are calling for practical steps within schools to reduce pupils' screen exposure as part of wider efforts to protect children's health.
They have urged education authorities to consider these concerns when setting guidance for schools and to support measures that reduce prolonged screen time in the classroom. The clinicians say prompt action is needed to avoid what they describe as preventable long-term health problems among school-age children.