The Hindu : Kerala News : Lighter schoolbags await children

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Lighter schoolbags await children

Staff Reporter

Principals for implementing the scheme; issue to be taken up at AEOs' meet

KOCHI: Principals of schools in Ernakulam educational district fully support the programme of lessening the weight of the schoolbag and its contents that will be implemented for the first time in a district in the State when the schools reopen after vacation.

Ready to take on some of practical problems that might crop up in carrying out the programme, many of the 99 heads of schools themselves came up with quite a few suggestions that could be implemented along with the programme.

These came up at a meeting that was held last week when M.S. Baby Ushakiran, District Educational Officer, had called a meeting.

Girija Devi, Headmistress of Raghava Panickar Memorial High School, Kumbalam, was of the opinion that combining the languages in one notebook and sharing subjects such as science and social studies in another notebook can reduce the number of the notebooks.

She also said that parents should be made aware about this programme.

K. Chandra, Headmistress of Government Girls High School, Tripunithura, said that a Parent-Teacher meeting would soon be called at the school to implement the programme. Babu K. Itteerah, Principal, High School, Irimpanam, said that the programme is welcome but it needs to be seen how rural children take to the paper filing system.

"There are likely to be some practical difficulties, but this move of reducing the load taken to school is highly welcome," said T. R. Sukumaran, Headmaster, SMHSS, Cherai.

Another important issue that the school heads agreed was the priority needed to provide drinking water in the school. Ms. Girija Devi said that the programme would be implemented in its spirit only if the department is strict. The managements in aided schools need to know that the Government is keen to get it under way, she added.

At the meeting, Mukesh Jain, a businessman, who took the matter to the court and got the orders for reducing the load taken to school, demonstrated to those present how to go about reducing the weight of books.

Since the court order came after the printing order for school textbooks were given, the Government would be able to print the textbooks in three separate term books only from the next year. However, to go along with the court orders, this year the teachers have been called upon to implement the programme in their respective school on a trial.

Mr. Jain showed how the books can be divided according to the prescribed syllabus for three terms and pinned accordingly. Children need to take only 80-page notebooks to school, he said. High schoolchildren can be encouraged to use a paper filing system, which would require them to carry only blank papers and the required books, he said.

Mr. Jain said that according to experts, children should not take more than 10 per cent of the body weight on their shoulders in a regular routine.

The weight of the bag should be balanced on both the shoulders and not on one, he added. Such a programme would make children free from psychological and physical burden of going to school, he said.

Paediatrician Abraham K. Paul said at the meeting that the Indian Academy of Paediatricians had devised a new lightweight bag for kindergarten children two years ago.

Joseph Martin, Assistant Education Officer, Ernakulam, said that the issue of lessening the burden of schoolbag will be taken up at the conference of AEOs on May 20.

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