“Quality of education is more important for your child than quantity of weight they carry”

“Quality of education is more important for your child than quantity of weight they carry”

We often see in India small children’s going to school with hefty school bags on their delicate shoulders ,which are much heavier than their body weight. According to research on child body, the limit of school bag weights for children has to be 10-20% of their body weight but today school bag of small developing minds is much heavier than their body weights. ‘We are seeing children carrying up to a quarter of their body weight around, which would never be allowed if you were an adult.

I have seen & observed that “Students bring many books and other things that are non-essential. For instance, students in Class I need not bring a compass box and multiple notebooks but we found that a majority of them was bringing six to eight notebooks, all the syllabus books, compass boxes, workbooks, pads and water bottle. This is non-essential item increase weight of school bag. "Carrying heavy school bags has an adverse impact on the health of students. These kids carry heavy bags twice a day and both times they have to carry these hefty bags with them on their shoulders. The problem is worse in rural areas where they have to walk a long distance to school. Many complain of back pain. They also face the risk of serious back deformities,"

Heavy school bags are 'deforming' children as growing numbers suffer irreversible back problems. Growing numbers of children are developing irreversible back deformities because of the weight of the bags they carry to school.

Some of the disadvantage of carrying heavy bags:

1. ‘Children’s skeletons are still growing so carrying heavy bags can cause lasting damage.

2. ‘Many are carrying their bags on one shoulder or are increasingly carrying them on the crook of their elbow, so are placing a great strain on the spine.

3. ‘A lot of the bags being used are bulky sports bags, which are twice the size of backpacks used a decade ago.

4. ‘If children have bigger bags then they tend to fill them. Add on sports equipment, musical instruments and heavy wet weather clothes and children are totally overloaded.

5. Carrying a heavy bag on the back causes forward leaning and bad posture, which can lead to improper weight bearing on the spine.

Parents and school, government should now this fact that school is not

A place of work and children’s are not workers. School is to get knowledge and to develop them self’s but the scenario is exactly opposite because of this heavy bags and hectic schedule future of nation suffering from physical and mental stress.

I have only one to suggestion to all parents who love their children just going to school with those hefty bags will not develop your children’s for that they need proper health and physique and for that we have reduce burden of these heavy bags from their shoulder so they can save energy to read the book or else they will lose their all energy in carrying those heavy bags.

The great nelson Mandela has said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” but because of these heavy bags and hectic school schedule education itself acting as a weapon against children’s growth and their future.

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

This article passionately argues against the detrimental impact of heavy school bags on children in India, advocating for a shift in focus from the "quantity of weight they carry" to the "quality of education." It highlights significant health risks and calls for collective action from parents, schools, and the government.

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The Burden of Heavy School Bags on Indian Children​

The author immediately draws attention to a common sight in India: "small children’s going to school with hefty school bags on their delicate shoulders, which are much heavier than their body weight." This observation sets the emotional tone for the piece. Citing research, the article notes that school bag weight should ideally be "10-20% of their body weight," but in reality, children are carrying "up to a quarter of their body weight," a practice that would be unacceptable for adults.

The problem is attributed partly to "non-essential" items students bring to school. The author's personal observation of Class I students carrying "six to eight notebooks, all the syllabus books, compass boxes, workbooks, pads and water bottle" underscores the unnecessary bulk. This excessive weight, the article asserts, has a severe "adverse impact on the health of students," leading to complaints of "back pain" and the "risk of serious back deformities," particularly worsened for children in rural areas who often walk long distances to school.

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Disadvantages and Long-Term Health Risks​

The article lists several specific disadvantages of carrying heavy bags, emphasizing the irreversible damage to children's developing skeletons:

1. Skeletal Damage: "Children’s skeletons are still growing so carrying heavy bags can cause lasting damage."
2. Spinal Strain: Many children carry bags on "one shoulder or... on the crook of their elbow," placing "a great strain on the spine."
3. Bulky Bags: The use of "bulky sports bags, which are twice the size of backpacks used a decade ago," contributes to the problem.
4. Overloading: "If children have bigger bags then they tend to fill them," exacerbated by sports equipment, musical instruments, and heavy weather clothes.
5. Bad Posture: Carrying heavy bags causes "forward leaning and bad posture, which can lead to improper weight bearing on the spine."

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Call to Action and Philosophical Reflection​

The author makes a powerful appeal to "Parents and school, government" to recognize that "school is not a place of work and children’s are not workers." Instead, school should be for "knowledge and to develop them self’s," a scenario currently hindered by heavy bags and "hectic schedule" leading to "physical and mental stress" for the "future of nation."

The article concludes with a heartfelt suggestion to parents: prioritize children's "proper health and physique" over the perceived need for heavy bags. It argues that children "lose their all energy in carrying those heavy bags," leaving less for actual learning. The piece culminates with a poignant adaptation of Nelson Mandela's quote: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world," contrasting it with the current situation where "education itself acting as a weapon against children’s growth and their future" due to these physical burdens and stressful schedules.

Overall, the article is a strong, emotional, and well-reasoned argument against the issue of heavy school bags, effectively highlighting the health implications and calling for a re-evaluation of educational practices to prioritize children's well-being.