This petition is not against any system or board. Instead, it is regarding a growing concern of the students of our country. This is not the first time that parents are raising voice against the weight of school bags, but we are unfortunate that the issue is not resolved and taken very reluctantly from all concerning authorities. Though some regulation on the same have been already declared by the Govt; however it is being observed that the same is not implemented properly in most of the cases.
It is a common scenario of mainly ICSE students that they need to carry books and copies for every class on a daily basis. Whether it is an infrastructural issue or a defect in methodology that school authorities need to answer, but our question is why they don't think about such extra physical pressure? Sometimes to reduce the weight school authority advises not to send heavy water bottles from home. But the question here is - Are carrying those heavy books and lots of copies (most of them are unnecessary and can be avoided) more important than safe drinking water? Even some students may have health issues where they need a specific amount of boiled. Can school authority provide that??
It is expected that students will receive notes and do problem-solving at classes for which only a few copies are enough and not books. Books can be used at home for detailed study. But that is not the reality. Surprisingly, a six years old child is also carrying a bag more than 5kg on that tiny shoulder! Not all schools provide school buses at door stops and in that cases how difficult it becomes to carry those heavy load on the back?
Growing back pain, spondylitis, depression, anxiety these are common issues of today's childhood, which are not at all expected! We don't want machines, and we want human, moreover stable and healthy generation.
Secondly, we find some forceful regulations from school authorities too, like mandatory buying of dresses, bags and other accessories. We don't want to highlight the cost issue here, but our point is - sometimes a specific design of bags make it heavy. Why there is no freedom in such small aspects? Education is our basic right and preventing it from becoming a business should be a concern for our society. Also we seek Govt intervention here.
We have seen many recent incidents where students got physically hurt due to this weighty school bag issue. Our urge is to save our child, give them a lively childhood. Let the education enlighten their future and not to become a burden of growing childhood.
Please be unified and take a regulatory action to limit the weight of the bag. And please by no other means, only by avoiding those heavy books to carry everyday. We urge schools to implement the effective methodology of teaching and improving the infrastructure of the schools. Besides, it is our humble request to Ministry of Education to look into the issue to support our children.
