BERHAMPUR: Close on the heels of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Ganjam district administration has decided to implement ‘No School Bag Day’ initiative for students from Classes I-V of Government schools on Saturdays.
Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange on Wednesday issued directions to the district Education department to implement the programme, aimed at attracting more students and making education more fun, from March 7.
Under the programme, which will be directly supervised by the Collector, Saturdays will involve extra-curricular activities including yoga classes, cleaning the school premises, awareness on use of toilets, abstaining from use of plastic, plantation drive and story-telling sessions on eminent personalities.
There will also be general knowledge tests to encourage students to go beyond course study.
Each block education officer in the district has been directed to select 20 such schools under their jurisdiction.
“It is the responsibility of teachers to involve all students in the programme and evaluate how they benefit from the initiative,” said Kulange. Basing on the reports, the programme will be extended to rest of the schools in the district, he added.