Weighty bags weigh down children in Kashmir
Farzana Mumtaz
Education is in sane view pointed out to be a very much positive process that not only supports in, but also nurtures the mental and physical development of a child. In our part of the world the issue of weighty bags of children is emerging as a major issue .
This bleak facet is proven by the overweight school bags carried daily by the majority of students in Kashmir and has become a normal sight othere.
As a matter of fact, these overloaded bags are a health curse for the students. Weighty school bags are not helping in any way simply breaking the back of young students .
It is an established fact that the overstuffed school bags have always been a huge curse for children. Recent health studies at global have also shown negative impacts of weighty school bags on the overall health of children. As it can lead to poor flexibility of the back, poor exercise, and excessive weight-carrying can adversely affect the spine.
Few months back, Director, education, Kashmir, had issued guidelines to heads of the institutions asking them to set maximum weights for the school bags besides specifying which subject to be taught from which class as per the new National Educational Policy (NEP).
“The weight of the school bag for Classes 1 and 2 should not exceed 1.5 kg and the weight of school bags carried by students of Classes 3 and 4 should not exceed 3 kg,” the director of school education said in an order.
The order further had said the weight of school bags for students of Classes 6 and 7 should not go beyond 6 kg.
Eminent voices of youth
and Radio Jockey Sardar Nasir Ali Khan ,while talking to News Kashmir observed:”
The school bags are becoming heavier day by day, and you see that most of the time, they are being carried by parents who accompany their kids to the bus stop. A policy was framed by DESK regulating the weight of the school bags as per classes, but very little has been done to implement this in letter and spirit.”
The hope on ground is that weighty bags for our children would be soon done away with and schools will abide by rules in this regard.
