MUMBAI: The state government will hold a meeting with Union Human Resources Development (HRD) minister Prakash Javadekar before August-end to ensure that weight of school bags in CBSE, ICSE & IB schools is reduced, said minister for school education Vinod Tawde on Friday.
Replying to a half-an-hour debate raised by Sanjay Dutt (Congress) in the legislative council, he informed the House that the state government had ensured that the weight of school bags in SSC Board-affiliated schools had been reduced by 93.94 per cent. Tawde added that the decision to reduce the weight of school bags was made by high court two years ago and the duty of restructuring the syllabus is that of the SSC Board which has taken steps to reduce the weight of school bags in SSC Board-affiliated schools.
Raising the issue, Dutt argued that according to doctors, carrying heavy school bags could have long-lasting effects on the growth of the children. He wanted the government to exert its authority on CBSE, ICSE & IB schools as the students studying in these schools are from the state.