MANGALORE: Childhood is an important stage in the life of every individual. The time spent in school is very crucial as it is during that time children learn from their surroundings, and should be encouraged to learn more, said, Jnanpith Award winner and writer U.R. Ananthamurthy.

Delivering a talk at the Mangalore University College here today Dr. Ananthamurthy said modern schools tend to segregate the children into various groups. This tendency was dangerous as the homogeneity of the society would be lost.

He said there had been considerable brain storming among the academicians including former University Grants Commission chairman Yash Pal to have a "common school concept" where all children shared the same school environment irrespective of their financial and social status.

He said this concept was being discussed as parents and teachers felt that too much affluence or too much poverty was depriving the children of their legitimate right to learn.

He said a parliamentary bill to this effect had to be created and presented as soon as possible. Once it was implemented, the children would have a "congenial" atmosphere for studying.

He said those children who are good with books and academics should also learn from the common environment and children who are more interested in the society should be enthused to learn from books.

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