The burden of education
Can't you even carry this thin book?" I remember my teacher scolding me with this line. I wanted to reply, "Ma'am,can you carry ten books and ten notebooks every day? I am sure you would call for someone if
you had to carry three kilos of vegetables. Now compare our size!" but I always stopped myself. I really had a tough time going to and from school carrying a bag that weighed not less than five kilos. These days, I see students carrying similar loads outside my window, and I remember my childhood days.
The education system of Nepal has been admired all around, but it is becoming more and more expensive. The boarding school system divided by various examinations and extra activities are the best parts of boarding schools in Nepal. Providing good and solid English tuition is another great advantage. These probably are the reasons why parents send their children to boarding schools, no matter how expensive it is. However, the monetary cost, physical punishment and sometimes poor teachers are problems, but they can be experienced in many other schools too. My least favourite thing, however, was the weight of my schoolbag.
It's nothing amazing to see an eight year old child carrying a bag that weights more than three kilos everyday while going to school. It is a common thing for students studying in Class Eight to carry something like five kilos. Parents are powerless to change this. A student needs to carry at least eight textbooks every day. Similarly, eight notebooks, which can be further divided; like science gets
divided into biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy; English into literature and grammar; social studies into history, geography etc.
Students hardly realise that the weight is troubling them, but later on in life, symptom like back pain appear. It's difficult carrying weighty bags and walking. There is a lack of school bags designed for
such heavyweight purposes, so bags tear often. Educational institutions need to take this issue seriously. It might be difficult and expensive to launch e-schooling in the present situation, but they can still bring certain changes. Minimising subdivision of subjects enables students to carry less. A good library
with all sorts of required reading will discourage pupils from carrying such large quantities of books. A trusted drinking water service will mean they needn't carry water. Similarly, there is the role of book publishers too. Publishers can bind the books into one to make it perfect. Unnecessary materials from books can be removed by the concerned authority. Good, proper quality reduces the weight of books and notebooks. Why let the students carry such burdens when it troubles them in the end?
{PUBLISHED IN THE KATHMANDU POST JUNE 02, 2011}
Can't you even carry this thin book?" I remember my teacher scolding me with this line. I wanted to reply, "Ma'am,can you carry ten books and ten notebooks every day? I am sure you would call for someone if
you had to carry three kilos of vegetables. Now compare our size!" but I always stopped myself. I really had a tough time going to and from school carrying a bag that weighed not less than five kilos. These days, I see students carrying similar loads outside my window, and I remember my childhood days.
The education system of Nepal has been admired all around, but it is becoming more and more expensive. The boarding school system divided by various examinations and extra activities are the best parts of boarding schools in Nepal. Providing good and solid English tuition is another great advantage. These probably are the reasons why parents send their children to boarding schools, no matter how expensive it is. However, the monetary cost, physical punishment and sometimes poor teachers are problems, but they can be experienced in many other schools too. My least favourite thing, however, was the weight of my schoolbag.
It's nothing amazing to see an eight year old child carrying a bag that weights more than three kilos everyday while going to school. It is a common thing for students studying in Class Eight to carry something like five kilos. Parents are powerless to change this. A student needs to carry at least eight textbooks every day. Similarly, eight notebooks, which can be further divided; like science gets
divided into biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy; English into literature and grammar; social studies into history, geography etc.
Students hardly realise that the weight is troubling them, but later on in life, symptom like back pain appear. It's difficult carrying weighty bags and walking. There is a lack of school bags designed for
such heavyweight purposes, so bags tear often. Educational institutions need to take this issue seriously. It might be difficult and expensive to launch e-schooling in the present situation, but they can still bring certain changes. Minimising subdivision of subjects enables students to carry less. A good library
with all sorts of required reading will discourage pupils from carrying such large quantities of books. A trusted drinking water service will mean they needn't carry water. Similarly, there is the role of book publishers too. Publishers can bind the books into one to make it perfect. Unnecessary materials from books can be removed by the concerned authority. Good, proper quality reduces the weight of books and notebooks. Why let the students carry such burdens when it troubles them in the end?
{PUBLISHED IN THE KATHMANDU POST JUNE 02, 2011}
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