On Teachers’ Day, PM Narendra Modi urged educators to think unconventionally and step beyond textbooks to ensure that children did not lose out on their childhood. He encouraged them to look beyond students’ academic performance and pay attention to their behaviour and everyday lives, including their screen habits and possible exposure to drugs.The PM made the remarks during an interaction with 82 National Award-winning teachers at his official residence. Modi stressed the role of teachers in preserving childhood, nurturing children’s natural curiosity and helping them develop interests beyond classroom learning. “We need to step outside of books and the syllabus much more than before and get into the lives of children. Childhood shouldn’t be allowed to die. And the biggest task of keeping childhood alive can be done by a teacher. It’s the teacher’s job to ensure the child within remains,” he said.The awardees included 48 teachers from the Department of School Education and Literacy, 21 teachers and faculty members from higher educational institutions and polytechnics and 13 skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. During the interaction, the teachers shared their experiences and spoke on innovative learning techniques. They spoke on creative approaches they had adopted to make classroom learning more engaging and effective.PM Modi cited growing screen addiction among children, particularly their increasing dependence on video games, as a major challenge. He flagged drug consumption as another concern, adding that the problem was no longer confined to universities or major cities. “Screen time has now become a form of addiction. A thought occurs to me: if a child begins to take a keen interest in sports, and by sports, I don’t mean video games but actually playing on the field. Then slowly, they can come out of it,” said the PM, adding, “We should make it a habit to engage kids in creative tasks and design dedicated programmes for doing so.””Teachers should carefully observe children for behavioural changes to spot signs of drug abuse,” he added. The PM said teachers had an important role in preserving childhood innocence and nurturing children’s inherent curiosity. Referring to the National Education Policy, Modi said taking children outside the classroom and equipping them with real-world skills was the need of the hour.