:: Where is my Childhood? ::

Students from the beginning to the end of their education just run after getting good grades because they have no choice of playing any game. In their leisure time all they can do is to play on the computer

By Muhammad Shahid

While coming back from my office the other day I observed a playing ground that was almost empty. It was pleasant weather and normally such grounds are crowded with people playing games or some sport. No mishap had been reported, so I was surprised why the ground was empty and felt qualms in my mind. I came to another ground near by and what I saw really astonished me. Most of the people there were just sitting around. The reason for people not indulging in physically active games as much as they used to is a big question today? The fact is that most people nowadays enjoy mobile and other games, which are, suppose to be improving the mind. But these will definitely make people physically weaker. So in this article I will focus the spotlight on some realities, which are the main reasons for the deteriorating physical health among students.

Let's start from school level. Young kids join schools from prep onwards. Alright, but from day one they neglect physical activity. I visited most of the schools and found hardly a single institution had period for physical training in a week. This sounds really out of the ordinary. Now there is an emerging trend for all institutions to have a computer period almost every day. Friday or Saturday in most schools is movie day, where they often show cartoon films on the computer. Children love that period. Children come back from the school normally around lunch time. After that interlude they often go for tuition from some teacher or to some academy, because in the current competitive age everyone wants their child to get good grades. Of course that's good, but the point is why does every child have to get more than 85 % to get on the school? No matter how hard up parents are, they are ready to afford a double tuition system to improve children's grades. In the school a lot of homework is given in order to make the student get better grades. To any rational person concentration on studies to this extent is not advisable, but still it is a fact that most people do not draw the line. Everyone wants to succeed; no one is ready to accept the remotest chance of failure. But a student's childhood is killed and that one most precious period in life will leave few innocent and happy memories. Ensuring a child's future does not mean going to such extra lengths. There must be a balance between studies and physical activity. Parents give computers to the children. Yes, that is good, I agree; but the fact is that children are not getting any physical training. A sound body builds a sound mind. Children play computer games or chat on the net, but they no longer like to play physical games. In fact, it is an established fact that the mind needs relaxation. But for playing on the computer the mind is still in the process of working. As you play some physical game your mind and health gets better. I read some research on the net, where they divide a sample of children aged from five to ten into two groups. One group is involved in physical activity and the other group involved in the modern technology. After six months when they tested both groups, amazingly the physically active group performed much better than expected often surpassing the other group.

Now come to college life, when students are teenagers and are formulating their mindsets for life. Now the past habits influence their proclivities. Thus they do not play physical games but only like to play on computer games. Only in the modern world do I see a trend of students going for eating as fun. Students have to devote considerable time to studies to stay in the competition. I know competition is really hard but students should be provided with physical activities as well. The same pattern as in school continues; the student goes from college to the academies then back to do the work assigned by the colleges. There is no trip, no vacation --- no healthy activity. Now most of the grounds in the colleges are vanishing. This situation becomes grimmer when private colleges are constructed without any open ground. There is only a building and the café where the students can go and sit. No physical activity is possible. That is why, as a nation we were once considered to be the greatest teams in some sports, but now are on the verge of elimination. We present a very sorry picture. Once we were really good in our national games, because the students played in grounds and enjoyed themselves. They would choose to become professional players. Now that option has almost gone. In hockey we have a limited pool from where we can pick players. Moreso in the most popular sport of our country, cricket. Once students keenly participated in school level teams and from there the students continued playing and improving their game when they joined college. Now if some player in the cricket team gets injured there is no back up to fill the gap, there are no longer many players of any caliber available. And most institutions do not have any ground thus there is no opportunity for these institutions to develop any teams for any sports. So if this is the situation in our two most popular sports you can imagine the position in other games, where no such interest has been ever developed.

Now come to the universities, where the pool of the future leaders in different fields will emerge in our country. Again the most neglected area is sports. There is no physical activity. During the study session no tournaments are arranged in the universities. Most of the time if some ground is empty and students want to play there but they are not allowed because some class is going on. Moreso that area is often used for car parking or for the other purposes. Nowadays students from the beginning to the end of their education just run after getting good grades because they have no choice of playing any game. In their leisure time all they can do is to play on the computer.

In modern time everyone wants their child to be supreme at the cost of leisure time. Now since students are not encouraged, have no time and no facilities to indulge in sports then I do not blame for them for neglecting this important aspect of life. They are only part of a system where wining is everything. If you win you are the king of the mountain, if unfortunately you loose, then you have committed the greatest fault. When the sun rises, everyone rises; when the sun goes down you are part of history. Now a competitive niggardly attitude is being inculcated in students. They are told to not to share anything with your fellow classmates, because points matter. If you lose one point you gonna lose the position. Being first is what everyone wants and for that he will use whatever means he can to get there. Thus comradeship, good nature, being kind to others is vanishing. So, if something is not practiced or taught then how's it gonna materialize. If you think people can learn themselves, no way. Yes you can improve, but as the old saying goes, 'old hobbits die hard'. Competition is the name of the game. Everyone wants the top, no one like to be second reason. The second title is an abuse for students. Student will get the prize from their parents if they get the first position, otherwise there's no reward and your hard work is consigned to the trashcan. As a student I feel this is the biggest injustice to me. This is the experience I have faced during my studies days. So I feel the pain in the students' eyes when they want to share their thoughts with their class fellows but due to the taboos they cannot do this. If they share, they're gonna' lose the position. One thing I have heard from the students is that when they go to the exams they always say, "My preparation is really bad, I may not be able to pass." But when the results come they are happy and tell their mates that the question I answered in that way turned out to be the right way. So the practice of hypocrisy starts and when it becomes a habit we want to change it. However, while playing games and sports children learn to share, learn to support each other, because you need to be gel like a team and that's what wins matches and makes you number one. With teamwork you can upsets the biggest teams. Look into history and you'll see where teamwork has destroyed the big guns. In my point of view students should be given physical activity time so that then they can perform much better, rather than sitting with book doing nothing and everyone thinks, "Our child is really studying hard." I have a humble request to the teachers, parents and students --- create a balance in life. On this note I close, "Do your best and hope for the best."