Passing interim orders on a writ petition filed by advocate M. Purushothaman, who accused private schools of dumping too many subjects and books on children, Justice N. Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court on Tuesday issued a direction to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to ensure that even private schools affiliated to it, follow only NCERT textbooks and not those of private publishers.
In sharp criticism of the burden on very young school children, Justice Kirubakaran ordered that no school in the country, irrespective of the educational board, prescribe homework for children in Classes I & II.
Citing the Children School Bags (Limitation on Weight) Bill of 2006, the judge wanted State governments also to formulate such policies and reduce the number of books carried by children to school. Empathising with children forced to learn subjects beyond their comprehension, the judge said: “Children, who are the future of this country, should be shaped properly by providing them age appropriate education and training without any stress. If they are subjected to stress and agony, it is likely to have a lasting impact on their physical and mental well-being.”
‘Dont be overambitious’
“Parents should not be overambitious to make their children No.1 in education. This kind of attitude or mindset is unwarranted as it will not help any of the stakeholders. Knowledge is different from information. The education imparted to children should enable them to gain knowledge rather than store information,” he said.
