Worksheets, writing books for alphabet, numbers... Preschools' curriculum.
Madhura Mukherjee, a homemaker and mother of three-year-old girl, was shocked when she was given a list of 11 books to be bought for her daughter for the current academic year. When Madhura enquired why so many books were prescribed for a girl so young, the management gave no convincing answer.
“How do they expect a three-year-old to grasp so much! We all talk about academic pressure for children in Class X and XII. What about pressure on these small kids who are yet to learn to speak properly,” asks Madhura.
And rightly so. Four writing books, one book each on alphabet and numbers, a book on environment and behaviour apart from worksheets for a three-year-old is enough to set off alarm bells among parents.
Many parents in Bangalore share Madhura’s sentiments.
Sangeetha Subramanium admitted her daughter to a branded preschool to acclimatise her daughter to school environment. But it never occurred to her that her two-year-old daughter would be given home-tasks. “How do they expect a two-year-old to cut animal pictures and paste them properly! It’s me who ends up doing her homework. I wonder if activities like these are of any use to kids of this age,” she says.
Bipin Sajwan, an IT professional and father of a four-year-old boy, is perplexed, and also unconvinced about the benefits of books and home-tasks for children. “I never learnt counting through books. We played with clays and toys that helped us learn. If we could learn counting by playing, where is the need to put pressure on kids with so many books and home-tasks?” he wonders.
Preschools in the city, however, deny putting pressure on children with books. “We believe in all-round development of kids. Even if books are there, we make sure there is enough learning through games and activities. Also, we never give hometasks,” says Poornima S, head teacher, The Little Crest, a preschool.
But getting preschools and prenursery to think of alternative modes of learning is an uphill task. The lament of Bipin is pointer enough that parents, no matter how absurd it might be, will do the what the school wants. “I bought five course books for my son at a cost of Rs 1,350. I am against this idea, but I can’t make my child sit at home when others are going and learning new things every day. My child should not feel left out.”
Psychologists’ view
Child psychologists in the city feel books are of little use to children as young as three. “There is a hype that the earlier you learn, the better. Whether it is about learning counting or writing alphabet, schools should do away with books for kids under five years,” says Dr Sulata Shenoy, director and psychologist, Turning Point Centre for Child Guidance, adding that making a child read and write at this young age is of no use. Instead, focus should be on developing creative thinking in a child, she says.
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