BENGALURU : The academic year for school students has just begun, and this is usually is a hectic time for parents, who are running about making sure that their children have everything they need.
Recently, the parents of students studying at the Baldwin Group of Schools, protested against the exorbitant cost of books being sold by one particular vendor. The parents had filed a complaint with the District Education Regulatory Authority (DERA), following which, the group was asked to stop selling these books by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR). City Express speaks to parents on what they are expecting from schools this academic year. While it's common to hear complaints about high school fees, heavy schools bags and poor infrastructure, city parents tell us about some of their other concerns.
Sex education neglected
Sonia Sarma, a mother of two daughters studying in third grade and fifth grade respectively at a city school, says that with the rise in the number of sexual harassment cases involving children, she wants her children to be better aware of these issues. "Sex education needs to go beyond just body parts and talking about the 'birds and the bees'. They need to add sex and relationships as a programme that is a compulsory part of the syllabus. If environmental studies and community service are included, why can't we teach our kids early on about how to respect women, what is good and bad touch, and more?" she says.
Another parent, Sneha Shreekant, whose daughter is in the eight standard, says that her daughter was ridiculed when she stained her skirt in school, and was traumatised by the experience, so much so, that she couldn't attend for the next two days. "Nothing was said to the kids who made fun of my daughter. They were told to stop making fun of her, but what about educating the kids on the fact that periods are a normal human bodily function? If a separate programme on sex, relationships and sexual health was introduced at an early age, it would help," she says.
‘Extra-curricular activities need to regularized’
Suresh, from Karnataka State Parents Association (KSPA), says that there is a need for it to be regularised by the state board. "Parents are kept in the dark about extra-curricular activities, and then are just sent huge bills because the students are forced to take part in them. At one particular school, children, as young as six, were sent for horse-riding classes, and this wasn't even discussed with the parents, and they were just asked to pay up.
Horse riding and other such activities are not cheap, and do the kids really need it? There should be discussions at parent-teacher meetings, and furthermore, CBSE should have some guidelines specifically jotted down for extra-curricular activities," he says, adding if this isn't controlled, schools might also propose taking the kids to the moon next!Suresh says that going to a block education officer (BEO) was in vain, as they have limited access to schools, and only act when there is a proper complaint filed.
More than just lip service
Seema Das, whose daughter studies in third standard, says that she feels a disconnect with her daughter's school, as she feels they are also disconnected from reality. "Recently, for World Environment Day, there were functions and events planned to teach kids on the importance of conservation. However, they are still burning garbage and using plastic on a regular basis - how is this teaching them anything? Causes such as these should be sustained through the year, and not just become a lip service to show the outside world how proactive they are. The kids don't have an idea about what's going on in the outside world," she says, as also an active member of Bangalore Eco Team.
Hemanth Mishra, also a member of KSPA, says that children are losing out on social skills with the advent of social media and the greater reliability on devices such as smartphones and tablets. "Social skills develop when children are outdoors meeting other kids their age. They also develop a sense of empathy when they're out doing social responsibility activities. But, schools don't organise these programmes consistently. Visiting an orphanage or an old-age home once a year does not bring about a sense empathy in the kids, and that's why these things need to be included in the curriculum," he says.
Suresh adds that most of these kinds of activities are just for publicity, where a photographer takes pictures and they are printed in the school circular to show outsiders.
Better check on truanting
Kaushalya S, a mother of two residing in Shantinagar, says that last year, she found out that her teenage daughter was bunking classes to hang out with friends, in spite of going to school in the morning. "I was so worried about my daughter, and then found out that she and her friends were skipping classes to go 'chill'. The schools need to have better monitoring and make sure that the kids are not skipping classes and wandering around the city. It's just about academics suffering, but the number of crimes you hear about these days makes it worrisome for us parents," she says, adding that perhaps, a clock-in system would work better than just attendance.