The heavy school bag has received considerable attention over the last couple of decades, but the load, somehow, has only increased over the years. After his nomination to Rajya Sabha in 1980, eminent author R K Narayan raised the issue of the burden of the school bag, curriculum load, and other such factors that stifled the creativity of the child and deprived them of their natural right to enjoy childhood.
His persistence, eventually, resulted in the appointment of a committee under the chairmanship of eminent scientist Professor Yash Pal, and a report was submitted in July 1993. It made several suggestions which were duly passed on to concerned authorities.
These included involvement of teachers in curriculum development to ensure incorporation of local elements of curriculum and total abolition of homework and project work at primary stage, ‘save for extension of explorations in the home environment’! It also said that textbooks should be treated as school property and ‘there should be no need for children to purchase the books individually and carry them daily to homes.’
It made a relevant point that children find the load of non-comprehension crueller than other factors. It is well-established that children continue to suffer on several other counts, including load and non-comprehension. In private schools, with a right teacher-taught ratio, there is no restriction on a peer-competitive race amongst these schools—mainly to impress upon the parents with the absurdity that more books means better quality!
The recent decision that henceforth CBSE-affiliated schools shall use only the NCERT books deserves support and effective implementation. It shall have its impact on school boards—also several of whom either adopt NCERT books, or prepare their own keeping in mind the NCERT books’ standards. Private schools recommend, for well-known reasons, books published by private publishers which are usually priced at 10-12 times the cost of NCERT books.
Several of the work-books, other support books are pedagogically rather unnecessary and burdensome. The nexus extends even to booksellers, who enhance the prices of NCERT books by just adding a hard cover. If schools cooperate, communicate their requirements of books in time to the NCERT, it should be possible to overcome the complaints of non-availability.
It is already mandated to works in close collaboration with the state government, agencies and school teachers.
There are other important aspects also. At primary stage, the same book cannot be used in Tripura and Thiruvananthapuram. State boards of school education, in close collaboration with NCERT, can find solutions. It would require attitudinal transformation amongst teachers, a change in approach from mere transacting and memorising textbooks to exploration, observation and articulation.
That would make life easier for the child, reduce the load of comprehension and give him the satisfaction of having ‘discovered new knowledge’.
Non-availability of qualified, competent and appointed-on-regular-basis teachers is a major contributor to the quality decline, non-comprehension and dropouts. Extensive recruitment drives need to be launched by the state governments.
Curriculum renewal exercise, last undertaken in 2005 at the national level, also needs to be taken up. It would indeed be a day of great liberation for the schoolchildren if they are saved from extensive homework and project works assigned daily. Certain schools, teachers probably compete with each other to give ‘more’ homework!
In addition to teachers’ presence and curriculum reforms, schools must strive to lay greater focus on sports and games. Reforms indicated shall succeed if professional organisations and experts accept the challenge and come forward with innovative and forward-looking solutions.rajput_js@yahoo.co.in