NEW DELHI: From well-designed timetable, limited use of notebooks, awareness programmes and a variety of co-curricular activities, the Delhi government has issued a slew of directions to reduce the weight of school bags.
The Directorate of Education (DoE) issued these revised guidelines on Monday for cutting down the burden students carry every day to school were issued in view of the fresh School Bag Policy 2020 released by the Union Ministry of Education last month.
According to the policy, school bags should not be more than 10 per cent of the bodyweight of students studying in classes I –X.
The newly framed rules say that no homework should be given to students till class II and students of pre-primary classes shouldn’t carry school bags.
The notice, recommending various measures to reduce the weight of school bags, has been sent to heads of all schools in the national capital.
“Heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and well-being of the school students and adverse effects on the growing children, which can cause damage to their vertebral column and knees,” says the DoE in the letter.
The DoE asked the school principals to place a chart suggesting school bag weight according to the bodyweight of students and their class ‘prominently’ on the notice board of the school and in each classroom.
“The Head of schools and teachers should frame a well-designed timetable for each class so that children do not have to carry too many books or notebooks to the school each day… At the pre-primary stage, no textbook is recommended…Single notebook need to be used for classes I & II. There shall be no homework for these classes,” it says.
The DoE notice urges that the school management or parents must ensure that students carry books only according to the timetable.
“Parents should be encouraged to remind and guide their wards ‘to repack their bags on daily basis according to the time table and bring only the prescribed books and avoid carrying unnecessary articles, textbooks to the school… The students should be discouraged from bringing reference books or dictionaries and other books to school especially in senior classes,” says the notice.
Noting that the school diary or Almanac also adds to the weight of the school bag, the DoE also suggests usage of digital mode of communication to contact parents.
“If a teacher wants to inform parents about the child, they may either use mobile, e-mail or back pages of the child’s notebook or any other digital platform whatever is feasible,” says the DoE circular.
School bag weight limit
The weight of the school bag should not exceed the following limit (prescribed by DoE as per the national policy for school bag).
Display bag weight chart: DoE
The Directorate of Education asked the school principals to place a chart suggesting school bag weight according to the bodyweight of students and their class ‘prominently’ on the school notice board and in each classroom.