Kopelo Krome
The article “School bags: Doctors for making them less heavy” (PTI source), as appeared in a local daily, Thursday February 16, 2006, (page 7), drew my attention. The learned Research Team of Dr. S. Mehra, R. Narashimhan, and 3 others from the Apollo Centre for Advanced Pediatrics, New Delhi, had found out that school going children carrying excess weight made them vulnerable to “musculoskeletal problems”.
The research paper presented at the annual conference of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) had emphasized upon “low back pain in school children with no apparent cause in a common problem, seen in almost 34% of students”. Here it is noted that, the issue needs to be highlighted to the educationists so that specified strategies would be developed in order to reduce the burden being carried by these group of young children. Moreover, the study conducted has noted that these children are carrying more than 10% of their body weight.
In the light of the research conducted by the highly esteemed medical team, it is fervently hoped that curtain directives would be issued to the Educationists in our state as well (and at the earliest possible time too). It is within our knowledge that, parents do complain that their children cannot carry their school bags on their own, and that, the children’s bags had to be carried by the parents, guardians, maids or others (for those who do not have the luxury of cars). It is also been observed that, school going children holds on to their (dear life!) school bags with both hands supporting their shoulder.
These burdened children (who will become our future tomorrow) comes home exhausted – in most cases. Here, one is made to wonder how an exhausted child pays attention in the class-room, if not, for paying attention (for a spell) that is, when getting punishment. Surely, this cannot be a favorable atmosphere for learning and studying. What about loving and caring for each and every individual child like one’s own? There is always the case of rich and poor parents or the literate and illiterates. Maybe, for once, our Educationists need to place themselves in a child’s shoe. Surely, the shoe will certainly pinch, because even in this time of competitions of sorts, one needs to reflect back on how one has come of age.
Well, rending out my feelings, it is in no way pointed out at all the educational institutions, nor at some particular schools as such. This is only written to provoke our respected Educationists and authorities to make amends if there be, so that our children are lesser burdened physically. Moreover, I guess some respected Teachers have the habit of giving maximum home works at random. Here though, let us take into consideration the case of illiterate parents, because not all parents are literate still. It is within everyone’s knowledge that children needs to play because, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, in order to learn and compete for life’s challenges in the ever changing society.
