The initiative was discussed during the meeting of the Subcommittee on Provincial Early Childhood Development Promotion held at the Phuket Provincial Education Office.
The meeting was chaired by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and attended by key officials, including Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), and Panna Phromwichian, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Education Area Office (PPEAO).
The meeting acknowledged the legal mandate and responsibilities of the subcommittee under the Early Childhood Development Act B.E. 2562, signed at the national level by the former Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his role as Chair of the National Early Childhood Development Policy Committee, explained an official report of the meeting.
With the goal of translating national policy into local action, the subcommittee is tasked with monitoring the development of early childhood children in Phuket, coordinating across sectors, appointing working groups and advisors, and drafting long-term development plans, the report added.
One of the key items on the agenda was the proposed budget request by the PPAO to support early childhood education programmes in the 2025 fiscal year.
This funding is set to help implement the ‘PHUKET-EF System Model’, a brain-skills development framework focused on building executive function (EF) skills in young children, the report said.
A major highlight of the meeting was the introduction of the ‘Reduce Mobile Phones, Let’s Hold Hands’ campaign, a new initiative designed to promote healthier family dynamics and reduce the negative impact of screen time on children.
Dr Wariya Thornara, a child and adolescent psychiatrist from the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation Hospital (formerly the Phuket Provincial Hospital), will serve as the project’s keynote speaker.
The campaign encourages parents to replace screen time with meaningful interactions ‒ such as conversation, games and outdoor play ‒ to support children’s emotional, social and behavioural development.
In addition, the meeting included a proposal to incorporate nutrition-focused goals into Phuket’s child development plans. These include reducing snack consumption and discouraging soft drink intake in schools, in an effort to prevent chronic diseases such as childhood diabetes.
Governor Sophon emphasised the collaboration among agencies and reaffirmed Phuket’s commitment to nurturing the next generation, the report noted.
“This meeting marks an important step forward in uniting all sectors to improve the lives of our young generations ‒ physically, mentally and socially ‒ so they grow into adults capable of contributing to the country’s future,” he said.