Should schools ensure that children do not carry heavy school bags (excess books) every day?
Almost every Naga student goes through this stage of life when school bags seem heavier than a sack of rice. The carrier sweats profusely or is exhausted by the time he/she reaches the school premises. To carry this load of books every school day is a problem particularly for students travelling on foot or maybe differently-abled but determined-to-learn kids. It is sad that most government schools and few private schools do not have a school bus. The geographical locations is in such a way that students need to literally climb. Some won't understand the struggle to carry at an average 3.5 kg (mostly 8 extremely heavy textbooks with notebooks each) every day to and fro. It can however be argued that this struggle is what moulds and shape a student's life but schools should also oversee that factors which hamper the excellence of a student are checked. In this regard, some reforms can be made like: 1) Providing effective but liberal class routines in a week. 2) Students are allowed to leave books at school. 3) Minimizing the size of Textbooks such as Mathematics and Science.
Kimwang Konyak, Leangha Village, Mon
Should school ensure that children don't carry heavy bags every day? Yes, it is high time the authority look into this problem. There is vivid memory in my mind how every day I had to struggle to carry my bag which weighed around 3 to 4 kg of text books for 1.5 km to school. By the time I entered class there was little energy left to sustain the entire day. This exhaustion was a complete dose for lack of attentiveness in class and sometimes falling asleep in the middle of class. Generally I have seen young students carrying heavy bags with poor posture or slouching which I myself was a prey and many others. Science also tells us that a child can develop kyphosis and spondylitis which are very harmful in the long run. However, with development of school infrastructure the school can provide locker system (like in US) or bench locker so that the students can keep their text books safely and take home only those books required for homework or studies. Academically also, there are many ways to improve like using loose spring text book and take out only those which is required, reducing the size of text books, division of syllabus into parts etc. Less heavy bags often last longer from economic point of view.
Arenchiba Longkumer Dimapur
The excess weights of school bags is not only curtailing a child’s proper growth but also giving much torture to their mind, body and soul. It is the duty of the department of school education to sensitize principals and teachers of schools along with parents. The education department should also make the guidelines/Circular to the school to ask the children to bring books as per daily routine and schedule. Now Right to Education is also the fundamental right of the Child, one cannot abridge their rights by giving them excess burden of school bags. Last, but not the least education department should makes the rules to all the school that schoolbags of a child should not more than 10 percent of the Weight of the child, and exempt pre-primary children to carry books /notebooks to school.
Rama Shankar Pandey Balijan (A), Bokajan
Best Comment: Arenchiba Longkumer
This week’s question:
Are educational institutions in Nagaland imparting required life skills to students?
The above person can claim his prize from The Morung Express office. The best comment will win a book, ‘Cross Section: Reflections on Christian Faith and Society’ by Sao Tunyi from Heritage Publication House, Dimapur.
Send in your comments to The Morung Express Office (address given below) or email to morunglearning@gmail.com or WhatsApp @ 8794005039/7085976283
