To come to he pointstraight here are some suggestions for reducing the load our children carrydaily on their backs.
Introductionof locker system or storage benches
- Funds to be raised from the infrastructural maintenance fee,already being paid to the school.
- The books and notebooks of various subjects can be left behindor taken back home according to the homework and test patterns.
- One-time investment by the school.
Worksheetsreplacing notebooks
- Carrying two separate notebooks per subject, for class workand homework respectively adds up to the weight of the schoolbags.
- Or if not separate notebooks, a considerably thick notebookfor each subject is preferred in order to fit for the complete syllabus.
- The homework notebook can be eliminated altogether ifworksheets would be distributed among the students every day. It would comprise10 pages at the most, for the homework of eight subjects.
- In this manner, the weight of eight notebooks shall bereduced to mere eight pages or so, reducing the weight of the school bagsubstantially.
- The aggregate of the worksheets can be collected by thestudent at the end of the week to carry it back home to maintain the record andfor parental supervision.
- It is economical to the school because in the age oftechnology, a printout costs less than . 25 paise or a Xerox copy costs evenless than that.
Aggregate notebooks
- According to the most academic calendars, the scheme ofexaminations and syllabus is divided into five parts; Unit I, Unit II, Term I,Unit III and Term II.
- The class work notebook happens to be the main source of studyduring the examinations and is thus irreplaceable.
- Two subjects can be aggregated into a notebook that canaccommodate a unit from both subjects.
- This means that instead of eight notebooks there shall beonly four notebooks which will be replaced after the end of each unit exam.
- The aggregate notebooks are not intended to be in the formof a thick or big notebook but a reasonably paged one, just sufficient enoughfor the syllabus of one unit.
- For example, a notebook shall bear Unit I of Math’s and UnitI of English simultaneously, and will be replaced after the exams for Unit IIof the same subjects and so on.
- Teachers usually insist on getting big and long notebooksthat can last throughout the year. As a result, it leadsto physical labor on behalf of the children to carry such notebooks for allsubjects on every single day of the year.
- Dividing the notebooks is convenient both for the studentsand the teachers as there would be no loss of content nor will the students beoverburdened.
Drinking water facility
- Carrying water bottles around their necks or in the sidepocket of their bags is a needless burden
- Installing a water dispenser or two in each floor of theschool would clearly eliminate the need of carrying 1.5 liters of water on yourshoulders
Ban on slinging bags
- Some children seem to prefer sling bags which hang down fromtheir shoulders to the back on one side only. With the number of books that arenecessarily to be carried, the sling bag affects the posture and comfort ofsuch children and should thus be shunned by the school.
OnSeptember 2019 I approached Honorable High Court by filing third contempt pleaafter government failed to take decision with regard to unburdening of heavyschool bags. Next date of hearing is on 6th December whereGovernment will be submitting its response regarding unburdening of heavyschool bags. Earlier Court has already disposed of two contempt petitions, onefiled in 2017 and other in 2018. In 2016 PIL was filed for easing weight ofschool bags, JK High Court directed state government to consider petition andsolve matter within three months.
It appears to us that conscienceof Education Department, Director Education, private school authorities are ina lull. They have turned blind eye to the sufferings of school children owingto weight of school bags. How long restrict tiny tots to weight and labor attender age? Great minds carried goodheads and hearts over their shoulders and not heavy school bags.
I, on behalf of parents andschool children appeal Lieutenant Governor, Secretary School Education Kashmir,Director Education Kashmir, administration of private schools to implementorders of High Court and end menace of educational child labor i.e. heavyschool bags.