Holiday homework: pay and get it done

Ankit Sharma,a class IX student,said,“We were asked to do a project on Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections of the year 2009. I don’t have computer at home,so I got it prepared through a cyber cafe by paying Rs 250. The other project was some grammer work,which I finished within a week. I do not enjoy the holiday homework as teachers hardly check it.”

Ritika and Anuveg,both middle school students,said,“Last year,we spent a lot of time doing holiday home work. It is ironical that the teacher did not even give back our copies. We prepared a beautiful scrap book of weather report and many other things. At the end of the session,we saw all these copies gathering dust in the cup-board of our classroom. So why should we labour for holiday homework?”

Preeti,a mother of two school-going children,complained of “too much” holiday home work. “I remained busy with my two children in getting their home work done on time. It was an uphill task for me,” said Preeti.

Rippi,mother of a primary school child,said,“Last year,the holiday home work was not only time-consuming but was also above the mental level of children. Parents had to help them out in completing different projects. But this time,it was quite less,say only half-an-hour-job to finish the work. I myself felt so relaxed and so is my son.”

Meanwhile,the book-shop owners and other shopkeepers who have internet facility at their shops are busy minting money by providing ready-made school projects of different subjects. Talking to Newsline,a shop owner said,“We prepare projects for children studying in schools and colleges and charge anywhere between Rs 50 and Rs 500.”

One can get a ready-made model of any historical place,projects of science,environmental science and of social studies from book shops or cyber cafes. The trend also provides opportunity to some amateurs to earn some money. Shalu,a young amateur,who is pursuing her graduation as a private candidate,said,“For the last three years,I have been making charts for children in june and earn about Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000. I can draw well and so children approach me to get their work done. I use this money for buying my own books,stationary etc.”