Are we among those who have to fetch our children’s school bags? Why are they so heavy? Carrying heavy bags every day is the most distressing experience for the school-going children. I wonder how such heavy school bags help children “learn” better?

It may be difficult to find a measuring rod for quality of education. But what we can say is there is something wrong with our education system. Most of the schools seem to be teaching students not the meaningful lessons but the ways to score “good marks”.

The emphasis seems to be on rote learning, and for this, students are forced to carry more notebooks and books, which ultimately make their school bags as heavy as they are.

In many schools, teaching-learning activities are carried out without paying attention to children’s psychology. When children are forced

to cram for exams rather than understand the lessons, we can imagine the outcome. Learning should be a fun activity for children rather than a matter of distress. This only makes them dull.

Introducing technology in teaching and learning can ease the burden of children. In today’s technologically advanced world, e-learning can be introduced for students.

There are a few schools that are indeed taking up new teaching methods making students feel learning indeed is fun and not boring.

Rote learning can help students earn only the certificates. The real lesson that students should get in schools is practical education; education that prepares them for their future. For that, practical methods are really essential.

Every child is differently creative. Schools should nurture their creativity rather than killing it in the name of making them score good marks. Schools must focus on developing the multi-dimensional aspects of the children.

The fundamental flaw, however, in our school education system remains the same—rote learning. Schools should focus on meaningful learning techniques so as to prepare children for their future endeavours.

And here comes this “bulky bag” fact again.

Unless we change the methods of teaching, our children will continue to carry heavy bags to schools. We need to reduce the weight of our children’s school bags and make their learning meaningful. Heavy bags indeed are a weighty issue, which we must not take lightly.