RAIPUR: After Class VII student, Rugved Raikwar from Vidya Niketan School laid bare their woes before the media three days ago in the Chandrapur district of eastern Maharashtra the school set up lockers in the school premises for its students so that they could keep their textbooks and other study material in them and reduce the weight of their heavy school bags. The positive development came due to the efforts of Class VII student, Rugved Raikwar. The 12-year-old Rugved and his classmate Paritosh Dhandekar surprised all the journalists of Chandrapur when they reached the Press Club here to address the media on Monday. The Class VII students laid bare their plight before the Chandrapur media and told them how primary and high school students are forced to carry heavy schoolbags like some luggage carrier. According to the student, “We have to carry at least 16 books everyday — eight textbooks and eight notebooks — to the school. The number reaches 20 at times due to extra classes. It’s very difficult to carry them from home to school and then to the classrooms situated on the second and third floor of the school building”. The duo was left with no option but to address the press conference after their school principal ignored their letters. “I also tried to call Education Minister Vinod Tawade but he did not speak to us. Every time, his juniors told me that the minister was busy. After we addressed the press conference, lockers have been set up in our school for all the students. Earlier, only those students who faced health issues were allowed to use lockers,” the 12-year-old added. But the next day after the press conference, his batch-mate Paritosh backed out of the campaign. “His parents did not want to take on the school authorities. After winning the first battle of reducing the weight of schoolbags for his fellow students at Vidya Niketan, Rugved now wants to reduce the burden of heavy schoolbags for every primary and high school student in India. ]]>
