V J ANTONY Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) PETITIONERS who have been working long in the field of education have drawn the attention of this Court to an issue of grave public interest - - the plight of pre -primary school children in the matter of admission to the schools and the course content. According to the petitioners, early childhood education has received only low priority in terms of research facilities and actual funding. It is submitted that the professionals, parents and modern pre -primary schools have totally forgotten the purpose of pre -primary education and the importance of non -formal education. The children are burdened with formal education at a very tender age. The Indian Academy of Paediatrics wherein the petitioners also collaborated had in fact made certain general recommendations. It is relevant to note a few of them.

(2.) PETITIONERS submit that the minimum age for entry into L.K.G. should be four years and for admission there should be guidelines. Such guidelines are broadly indicated as:

(3.) REFERRING to the areas where immediate action is required, it is submitted that the weight of a school bag of a primary student shall not exceed 1/10th of the child's weight, otherwise it would cause severe health problems, both mental and physical to the children. Studies conducted in this regard, petitioners submit, would reveal that a Lower Kinder Garten child carrying four kilograms bag is equivalent to an adult carrying a cement bag. It is also submitted that while a pre -school child carries a weight of around four kilograms in the school bag, a college student carries only a weight of one kilogram. It is the suggestion of the petitioners and also organisations referred to above that the study materials at pre -school level should be provided in the school itself. The children also shall not be burdened with home work. The purpose being only initiation, there shall not be any formal education. Unless respondents seriously consider all these issues and issue appropriate directions, it would cause undue stress and psychological problems to the children at the young age. The Indian Academy of Paediatrics had organised various public awareness programmes about pre -primary education and the latest one was held at Kochi on 11.7.2004 with the co -operation of the petitioners also. Petitioners also invited our attention about the reports which appeared in various newspapers in this regard and the same is produced as Ext.P4. Petitioners have submitted Exts.P1 and P2 memorandums to the first respondent prepared by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics on the basis of the discussions in the awareness programmes. The points raised by the petitioners certainly require urgent attention of the Government. The children are to be properly moulded from the very early stage of their education, lest they should miss the real aim of education. We depose of this Writ Petition directing the respondents to look into the memorandums, Exts.P1 and P2 submitted by the petitioners and take appropriate action in the matter by issuing necessary directions to the concerned authorities, within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.