Judiciary has to step in to save school kids

A recent judgement by the Madras High Court directed the Central Government to instruct all states to do away with homework for students of Classes I and II. It also directed measures to decrease the weight of schoolbags and formulate the ‘Children Schoolbag Policy’. This judgement should be lauded for initiating a resolution of some key fundamental issues in primary education. However, reform through judicial intervention and directives is reflective of the sluggish and scattered state of the education policy and its implementation in India.

According to ASSOCHAM reports, approximately 68 per cent of students under the age of 13 face the risk of back pain and other ailments. There have been instances of students collapsing from exhaustion and pain due to heavy bags. This also has a negative impact on the mental health of students and the disenchantment towards schooling. Parents and students have demanded time and again for a cap on the weight of schoolbags on which state governments like the Maharashtra government have also passed government resolutions. On the national front, the Children’s Schoolbag Act, 2006, which states that a schoolbag cannot weigh more than 10 per cent of the child’s weight has been largely ignored by schools. 

Demand for locker and cupboard facilities across all schools, too, have been unaddressed, showing a lack of problem-solving. In the absence of an alternative mechanism, the weight limits are often flouted, raising questions of implementation, not newer policies.

The High Court also remarked that homework had very little benefit for such young students due to the lack of ‘Executive Control’ and concentration. Research has showcased the increasingly weak link between academic excellence and homework for students of this age group, which conversely, hampers the holistic development of children, personality development and their confidence. This was espoused and incorporated as part of the education policy by the Department of School Education and Literacy of the HRD Ministry. However, lack of implementation looms even in all CBSE schools. A solution proposed by the HC is the constitution and employment of “Flying Squads” for random checks, which is insufficient as a structural mechanism for checks and balances. A solution often forwarded is the greater involvement of parents in this process as a check on the flouting of regulations and pitching of newer reforms.

Another important component of the judgement was to restrict subjects taught only to mathematics and languages, only from NCERT textbooks. It raises questions on the need for a Uniform Education Policy in line with national standards to ensure both uniformity and effective education, while facilitating the holistic development of children. 

The sad state of primary education is perhaps the most apt representation of unimplemented policies and regulations, which are creating an unstable foundation for the future of our nation.

The writer is a student of Delhi University. Views are personal.