Take a Stand on the Weight of Your Child’ Schoolbag

The morning telegraph helped with feel positive this day with the news reading as “Telangana caps schoolbag weight, bars homework”. Yes the Government of this youngest Indian state has taken action to save school going children from unjustifiable harassment they come across while hanging seriously heavy schoolbags and also with loads and loads of homework from their schools. The government realizes the importance of physical and mental health of the fortune makers of the country and limits the weight of school bags of children in the state. With this positive development the weight of a school-going in Telangana should be between 1.5 kilograms to 5 kilograms only.
Researches reveal and careful parents are aware that the school bag of an average child usually weighs between 6 kilograms to 12 kilograms only at the primary level. Children bear upto 16 kilograms while they are at high school level, as estimated. However, carrying such load is a clear risk of physical health of children. It may cause serious harm to the collar bone, back bone, cervical spine, vertebral column and even the knees of the children.

It is not just the quantitatively measurable burden of schoolbags, but the mental pressure created by load of school homework also that may cause serious health issue in the growing children. The load of homework often prevents children from getting engaged in physical activities after the table-chair sessions at the classroom. Children at such growing age must take part in recreation and outdoor playing activities. It is believed that excessive amount of school homework can cause anxiety disorders in children.
To be frank, load of schoolbags can be easily decreased to harmless weight if the schools pay due attention to this. Schools should provide good library so that children do not need to carry any extra book. School teachers should also make sessions more interactive and less bookish as far as possible. This is possible at least upto class fifth. Since the weight of only one book may become 4kilograms for children in class 11^th and 12^th, schools may also start a system of providing mini lockers to students in higher standards. In these lockers individual students can keep their books inside the school campus and get them when required in their classroom session.

Schools should also refrain from loading the children with burden of homework. As per the Telangana state’s order, children upto class fifth level should not be given any homework, instead, the teachers should find more creative way of teaching like through interesting plays and activity sessions to ensure children have retained what they have learnt. Schools should encourage sports, arts, and culture by allowing students have time for these.

Well, ever since I was a school going child, careful parents were worried about the weighs of schoolbags we used to carry. However, the slogan that ‘schools make the future of your children’, has been discouraging most parents from taking a stand against it. Though we all must accept that such loads are more harmful than helpful for our children. Hence, we must take a stand against it.

Take a note of the weight of your child’s school bag and the amount of homework they are being allotted by their schools. If you find it more than acceptable, you should raise this issue in our children’s schools and ensure than an acceptable norm is resorted against such exploitation of your ailing school kids.