The prompt and positive response by the J&K’s Lieutenant Governor to an online appeal by a six-year-old girl from Srinagar complaining of children being overburdened with homework is worth appreciation. The little student of Srinagar School turned into an instant internet sensation with a self-shot video in which she was seen complaining to PM Modi about small children being overburdened with homework through online classes during the lockdown.
The child’s appeal and LG’s response by directing the authorities to bring drastic changes the educational delivery system in the present context in schools got widely discussed and raised a serious question over the issue as to how our education system emotionally stressed the children in our country.
Taking note of her appeal, Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha responded that the government will come up with a policy to lighten the burden of homework on School kids. According to tweets from the office of J&K LG suggests the school education department has decided to limit daily online classes for a maximum of one and a half hours for Classes 1 to 8, spread across two sessions. “For Classes 9 to 12 online synchronous learning will not be more than 3 hours; Pre-primary on a given day for interacting with parents shall be only 30 minutes; concerned authorities to ensure the strict implementation. Homework up to Class 5 should be avoided”.
Authorities and schools should plan a joyful learning experience engaging parents as well. Our children need more time to play, interact with parents, the biggest learning experience a child can have.
The homework and Exam-oriented approach of our school education system has been taking its toll in terms of the emotional and developmental growth of young generations.
The Covid pandemic has posed a real-time challenge when we have been canceling our school and board exams. We need to revisit our obsession with examinations and homework. The cancellation of the CBSE Class XII Board examinations highlights Indian education’s reliance on examinations and the prominence it holds in the system. With the pandemic, it is high time that India’s education system implements progressive changes which allow more flexibility for students and reduce the burden of examinations and deadlines. Our education system focuses too much on examinations instead of actual learning. The end goal for Indian schools is just examinations, nothing more. With so much importance being given to examinations, students are overburdened and are losing interest in their studies. They are losing all creativity and are gaining no sense of practical knowledge. Reforms in the education sector are now essential.
Courtesy – The North line