Age-inappropriate learning
Nazira opens her son Koshoy's backpack and demonstrates its contents: a pencil case, four textbooks, and several workbooks. "My son is in the second grade, although by his age and development he should be in the first. This is the result of the new educational system," she explains.Nazira's main concern is the double burden her child is facing. The second-grade program he is following, skipping the first grade, has proven too difficult for a seven-year-old boy. "As an adult, I find it hard to explain the material from this textbook. For him, it's a real burden," says the mother.
However, the issue is not only the complexity of the content but also the physical weight of the backpack. "Sometimes I need to take all four books. Try lifting such a load yourself. I wouldn't be able to carry it to work every day," Nazira adds.
The weight on the child's shoulders
Koshoy himself confirms that his backpack is heavy. "These books are really heavy. When I lift them, my shoulders hurt. After school, I come home and just lie down because I get tired. Then I do other things," he shares, mentioning that even his friend's backpack turned out to be heavy.Seeing how hard it is for his brother, older brother Ramazan helps him: "I carry Koshoy's backpack. His backpack is even heavier than mine."
Exact figures: 3 kg excluding Art class
To assess the situation, the editorial team of Kaktus.media weighed Koshoy's backpack on a regular school day. Usually, he has four lessons, and the weight of the textbooks and notebooks for three subjects (for example, math, Russian language, "Me and the World") amounted to 3 kilograms. This does not include materials for the fourth lesson - Art, where albums, pencils, and paints are required. In reality, on such a day, the weight of the backpack significantly exceeds 3 kg.According to regulations, the weight of the backpack for students in grades 1-2 should not exceed 1.5-2 kg, which means that Koshoy's load already exceeds the permissible norm by two times.
Medical consequences
Orthopedist Maksat Mamasadykov warns about health risks associated with regularly carrying heavy backpacks."Children get tired quickly, their muscles weaken. This can lead to valgus deformity of the feet and knees, curvature of the pelvis and spine," says the doctor. In the future, this can cause serious problems, such as protrusions and hernias of the spine, chronic headaches.
"If a child often complains of leg pain, it is not always a sign of growth, as many believe. It can be a result of improper load," warns the orthopedist.
Parents' solutions
Nazira, like many other parents in a similar situation, calls for systemic changes.- Adjustment of the curriculum: returning to a more age-appropriate program for primary education.
- Technical solutions: storing heavy textbooks in the classroom or switching to electronic versions.
- Discussion with teachers: the possibility of receiving assignments electronically to avoid carrying all books home.
Parents across the country are also expressing their concerns about their children's health.
"Heavy textbooks, complicated programs, and homework turn into a trial for students that does not match their age. What were you thinking when you compiled these textbooks?"
"The backpacks are so heavy that it feels like they have bricks in them."
"The content of the books does not match the age of the children! The tasks on the first pages of the first-grade textbooks look like this: 'Read and write...'. The books are huge and incomprehensible! Where is the promised adapted program for six-year-olds?! There are 50 students in the classes, and it is unrealistic for the teacher to explain the material; all topics have to be studied at home independently."
"Children aged 6-7, who were immediately enrolled in the second grade, found this insufficient. Now they receive textbooks and notebooks with a program that is essentially at the 4th-grade level, and the weight of the textbooks is completely unsuitable for their age. The question is: on what basis were such decisions made?"
The Ministry of Education has not yet responded to the request from Kaktus.media.
