Televisions in schools

Nearly every daycare centre and preschool in Ghana has television (TV) in their classrooms. I have been wondering when this became the practice in Ghana.

Few decades ago, when I was a toddler attending a daycare centre, there were no televisions in our classrooms. We enjoyed all the hands-on activities we knew of. We only got to watch TV at our home.

There have been attempts to justify the rationale for this trend. Some have argued that children learn greatly from the programmes they watch on televisions.

There is no doubt that children can learn from watching TV, however, research shows that at certain young ages screentime could cause more harm than good.

Dangers

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2019), children under five need to sit less and play more to grow up healthy.

WHO advise that children must spend less time sitting watching screens.

Instead, they must have more time for active play and get better quality sleep if they are to grow up healthy. All these will contribute to improving their physical, mental health and well-being, in addition to helping prevent childhood obesity and associated diseases later in life.

Advice

Engaging children in interactive non-screen-based activities with a caregiver, such as reading, storytelling, singing, ‘ampe’, football is very important for childhood development. Below are some recommendations by WHO according to age:
Infants (less than 1 year):

• Engage child in physical activity several times in a day in a variety of ways. These may include interactive floor-based play. If your child is not yet mobile, you could put them on their tummy for at least 30 minutes while they are awake. You could do this at different times in a day.

• Do not keep your child in one position for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g. strapped on a caregiver’s back, high chairs). Screen time is not recommended. Engaging child in reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged if the child is to be kept in a particular position for more than an hour.

• 0–3-month-olds should have 14 to 17 hours of good quality sleep including naps. 4–11month-olds should have 12–16 hours of sleep and naps.

1-2 year olds:

• Be involved in a range of physical activities for at least 180 minutes per day. This may include moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the day.

• Do not keep your child in one position for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g. strapped on a caregiver’s back, high chairs). They must not sit for extended periods of time. Sedentary screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended. Two year olds should not do screen time for more than 1 hour. When in one position for more than an hour, engage them in reading and storytelling with a caregiver.

• 11-14 hours of regular good quality sleep and wake-up times is also recommended.

3-4 year olds:

• Engage them in a variety of physical activities for at least 180 minutes a day. At least 60 minutes of this physical activity must be moderate- to vigorous intensity physical activity. These activities must be spread throughout the day.

• Do not restrain them for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g., strapped on a caregiver’s back) or sit for extended periods of time. Sitting behind screens (e.g., TV, computer should not be for more than 1 hour. Engage them in reading and storytelling with a caregiver when sedentary (no movements and in one position).

• Have 10–13 hours of good quality sleep a day, which may include a nap.

The writer is Speech & Language Therapist/Clinical Tutor, University of Ghana. E-mail: jobamp@hotmail.com