Childhood is children's right
Just about a few years ago, it wasn't a practice to send children younger than 7 years to school. They could spend all that time with their parents and other family members who lived with them. That's the reason why we believe home is the first school of a child. That's where the seeds of values and imagination grow. Whatever children learn in school used to be an extension of their learning at home. Children learn their language and mother tongue from their mothers. A mother teaches in a rather unconventional method to her kids. She doesn't teach the rules of grammar to her kid. The child doesn't even know it is being taught something. The child begins to learn unconsciously listening to the mother's affectionate expressions of language.
Children often speak what they hear from their mother when they begin to say their first words, it's their mother's language. The child becomes a part of the society by learning from his or her parents’ behaviour too. Only after children's learning is complete in the house, should the doors of school open for them. But in the last two years, things have drastically changed for the kids. Now they have to be admitted into convent schools soon as, or even before they are born.
Parents and the system force the child into LKG and UKG even when the child barely begins to speak. Which means child is away from home even before it completes 3 years of age. Even before the mother finishes her teachings, the child is snatched away from her and school books are imposed on the child. The bond between the child and the mother reasons from being strengthened for good. This is one of the main reasons the bond between kids and parents is getting weaker with every passing generation. Because they don't get to know each other. Even before they realise, kids are robbed of the affection of parents.
Now teachers in school can barely make good for the affection kids would have lost out at home. Children are forced to face strange people at barely three years of age and bear the burden of books and learning, that's imposed on them. This is the main reason for their poor self esteem that creeps in at this stage which gradually takes over the child's personality. Children begin to carry books from a very young age and home work instills such fear in them that they suffer the consequences of this for many many years to come. Without being able to shower affection, the parents spend time disciplining childern to do homework and other stuff that has been made order of the day, thus ruining the secure fabric of this beautiful bond.
Kids barely enjoy their childhood or remember good things about their younger days owing to all this. With things being this bad, the central government's decision to reduce books and home work for children is the most welcome change. The government had ordered for the homework to be done away with for kids studying in first and second grade, and has also specified the burden on books to be reduced to bare minimum.
First and second standard students have to be taught only language and maths, and nothing else. And students from third to fifth classes should be additionally taught EVS and maths as specified by NCERT. If this order is implemented in its right spirit, children can be saved from this demon of homework and have a normal childhood. They not only escape unnecessary homework, but don't have to carry heavy books in their bags. They can spend time with their parents without feeling the burden or work or fear the class teacher next day.
Childhood is a right that belongs to the children. No one can snatch it from them. Neither the parents not the educational institutions have any right to snatch it from them for their prestige. Children should go to school only after they have completed their learning at home and not to ensure their parents’ false prestige. If parents feel kids should secure high marks to maintain their glory as the parents of the child, it becomes some kind of child labour in basic terms. Kids don't go to school only to secure marks and it should never be so that kids are forced to make schools and parents proud only when they secure good marks. It is the responsibility of school and parents to ensure the learning happens through fun and not as a punishment.
The centre shouldn't rest after issuing this order. The work does not end there. It should also ensure effective implementation of the order by schools. Even parents must question those schools which do not implement the order well. They must also ensure their kids don't turn out into marks horses. If parents and educational institutions come together, a thorough change can be bright into the educational system in our country. We need to understand children have to naturally evolve into fine beings than be forced to grow up fast beyond their level of comprehension. Only this can help their future get better with time and for generations to come.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
