Let’s lighten their burden, they’re our future generation

An open letter to the Minister of Education

The need of the hour is to grant immediate relief to poor schoolchildren from the misery they are undergoing daily in having to carry loads and loads of books on their backs in bags much too heavy for their age instead of only the books of the day’s subjects according to the time table, as we did in our days.

It is indeed a pitiable sight to see hundred and thousands of schoolchildren trudging along with these heavy bags on their backs almost bent in two and also languishing on the roadsides waiting for their buses for hours and hours, some even having to take more than one bus to reach home.

When they finally reach home they are so spent and tired that they only want to have a meal and lie down and not to do any more studies or home work. What will be the result? Healthy, sturdy, strong and keen eyed study-loving children? Certainly not. Instead, there will be a generation of hunch-backed hollow-chested, sickly, weak children due to the suffering they are experiencing, especially children of poor parents who cannot afford to give them the luxury of travelling to school by private vehicles. Despite this unfortunate situation, no one appears to give a thought or care to prevent our poor schoolchildren from undergoing this daily suffering.

By A loving grand-parent