Drop mobile hold a book initiative gains laurels

In a bid to curb the increasing addiction to mobile phones among school children, T.N. Chikkaveerayya, a cluster resource teacher from Bannikuppe in the taluk, has launched an initiative called “drop a mobile hold book which has garnered appreciation across the state.

Video content related to this campaign has received over 1 million views on Facebook within just three days. The campaign, which involves students and their parents, is being conducted across 14 schools in the cluster area.

Held once a week, the initiative aims to reduce mobile phone usage among students and stimulate their interest in reading books. The campaign has successfully raised awareness among parents to engage their children in academic and extracurricular activities instead of providing them with mobile devices.

A 1 minute 32-second video clip showcasing Chikkaveerayya’s initiative has been shared on the Facebook page "Creative Minds," where it has achieved significant visibility, accumulating more than 25,000 likes in just three days.

  Chikkaveerayya explains that the education department has started special classes under the "Kalika Habba" program to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) activities for students who are lagging in learning and writing. During a meeting held with parents at the school, it was revealed that many parents expressed helplessness regarding their children not picking up books due to their mobile phone usage.

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"In conjunction with the effective implementation of the 'Kalika Habba' program, we designed the 'Mobile Drop, Book Hold' campaign along with cluster teachers to further reduce mobile usage among children. Every Saturday, from 12 PM to 1 PM after school hours, a one-hour activity will take place in the school library. We inform parents to participate, and many are enthusiastically joining," he noted.

  Students are encouraged to read a book of their choice for one hour and share their understanding of it at the end. This practice is being implemented consistently in every school. As a result, children's interest in books is increasing, while attraction towards mobile phones is decreasing. The campaign video is also shared within parents' WhatsApp groups. After "Creative Minds" shared the video on their Facebook account, appreciation has been flowing in from various parts of the state.