The Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, LASUBEB, Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King has called on parents of primary school pupils to monitor the usage of social media platforms by their wards.

Alawiye-King made the call on during a sensitisation programme organised by the Guidance and Counselling Department of LASUBEB on “The Effect of Social Media on A Growing Child” at Agidingbi Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos.

While noting that it might not be totally possible to debar the pupils from using the internet, he maintained that parental involvement and control would help curb some social media-related vices that are now prevalent in society.

The Chairman, represented at the event by the Board member of LASUBEB in charge of Special Duties, Mr. Dayo Israel, urged school pupils present at the programme to imbibe good behaviour as worthy ambassadors of the State.

In her contribution, Mrs. Sherifat Sanusi Adedoyin, also a Board member of LASUBEB, said that the programme was geared towards proper parenting to dissuade pupils from vices that could truncate their future, saying “Children are the heritage from God and it is our responsibility to groom them to become great individuals in life”.

Dr. Bola Makinde of the Department of Educational Foundations, University of Lagos, UNILAG, who was the Guest Lecturer at the event said that the internet has made it possible for children to develop necessary technical skills, especially through Games and Mathematical tasks that could help them in future.

“As an experienced tutor, I am aware that social media can help widen the horizon of children by reading far and near beyond textbooks, most especially when they are preparing to write examinations”, Makinde said.

She noted that social media could also affect children negatively in so many ways, including poor study habit, poor mental health, improper dressing, pornography, suicidal thoughts and depression, among several other risks.

The Guest Lecturer, however, underscored the vital roles of parents and teachers in ensuring that school pupils are not negatively affected through their exposure and time spent on the internet, maintaining that “time spent on social media by children should be strictly monitored and accounted for productively”.

In the same vein, Head of Guidance and Counselling Unit of LASUBEB, Mrs. Folashade Oladepo asserted that counsellors have made tremendous achievements in schools through different Guidance and Counselling activities ranging from Individual, Group and Career Counseling as well as Orientation Programmes.

Oladepo disclosed that LASUBEB organised the programme to emphasise the need for pupils to maintain their dignity and self-worth at the primary school level.