KATHMANDU, July 29: Five-year-old Anamika Sharma loves to sing, dance and play but winces at the prospect of having to study or do homework. However, the student of kindergarten at Sundarban School of Sciences in Naya Naikap, Kathmandu, has no escape from the drudgery, as her daily routine has been set by her parents and teachers to best fit her academic performance alone.
“She wakes up at 6 am. The first thing that comes to her mind when she opens her eyes is her homework. After she finishes her assignments, she gets ready for the school,” said Anamika´s mother Apsara. “There is just no time for her to play or have fun in the morning. She hardly gets time to eat the meal properly.”
Anamika gets ready for school by 8 am. Despite her dislike of homework, she has always managed to do all her assignments. “No matter how boring she finds to do her homework, she completes all the tasks assigned by her teachers as she knows failing to do so will land her in trouble at school,” said Apsara. [break]
Though her books are kept at the school, she still has to carry 5 to 8 notebooks everyday. The school hours are very hectic except the tiffin break, according to the child.
After she gets back home at 3 pm, Anamika´s first concern is again the homework. Only if she can finish the work before it is evening, she can spend some time outside in the open. “But that is rare as she has, generally, over seven pages of homework to complete. She says her hand pains while writing, she does it so unwillingly that it takes a lot of time,” said Apsara.
In school, there is not much scope for outdoor activities as Anamika has to thoroughly follow the lessons of Maths, Science, English, Social Studies, General Knowledge and Nepali. In addition, all these subjects are taught from multiple books.
Even at home, there is hardly any time for Anamika to play outside. “One thing is the lack of time. And the second thing is also the lack of friends. Had it been a village, children would play in open in a carefree manner. But this is a city,” explained the mother.
Anamika gets easily irritated and says she hates school. “Why do they teach us so much? They do not let us play in school and here at home I have no friends,” said the single child.
Stress of studies at a very young age coupled by an utter lack of physical activities is taking a serious toll on young children, according to child psychologist and founder of National Institute of Psychology Ganga Pathak. And Anamika´s case is rather common case found in the capital, she adds.
Agrees Rachana Sharama, the founder principal at Happy Home Montessori School in Kalanki. “Let alone common schools, the situation is not different in most of the Montessori schools either,” said Sharma.
“It is not our fault. We cannot ignore the courses in Nursery, LKG or UKG as they ultimately need it when they join other schools later. Moreover, parents keep telling us to teach the kids as much as possible,” she added.
Pathak warns that to make little children follow hectic schedules in the name of studies is crime. It will certainly be counter-productive in the long run.
She has been counseling dozens of children aged over 10 at her center since long. She concludes that it is due to over study pressure and at the same time utter lack of physical activities that today´s children are showing serious behavioral problems.
Kabita Pandey, principal of Sai Nilayam School in Kalimati, adds that the lack of enough space in schools force them to minimize game periods or create environment for sports activities. “No matter how much we try to make things better, we have to admit that we do not have enough space to let the children try several games. We often engage them in indoor games and cannot involve them in games like volleyball, football due to ever shrinking open space in the capital,” she said.
Pathak said it is very important for kids to play and have outdoor life. “When they don´t get it or get to mix up with the peer groups, all this affects them mentally as they cannot release their energy. On the other hand, they have very much pressure of studies.
Too many homework every day,” Pathak said, adding that lower the age of the child more he or she is vulnerable to the pressure. “At the time of having fun and play, our kids are over burdened by the studies and hectic schedule. Yes, there can be limitations for children´s freedom due to lack of spaces and other constraints but lack of awareness among teachers and parents is more responsible for the victimization of our kids.”
Meanwhile, Anamika Sharma, who has been urging her mother to move her to some other school where she would be allowed to play and have fun, wonders if such schools exist. “Why don´t you send me to a school where they will let me play a lot? Is there no such school? she asks her mother.
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