Concerned that the young students are stooping under the weight of heavy school bags, the Human Resources Development (HRD) ministry on Monday, had asked all the states and union territories to take necessary steps to lighten the student’s heavy bag pack. The ministry has also told the schools that the students of classes 1 and 2 should not be given any homework. The MHRD asks all states and Union territories to form a uniform set of rules and regulations, keeping the health of children in mind.

No homework

According to the order passed by the ministry, “Schools should not prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for classes I and II and language, EVS and mathematics for classes III to V students as prescribed by the NCERT,” as reported by The Indian Express. 

The order further said that the pupil should not be asked to bring additional books to the school. The order has also asked the schools to keep a check that the weight of a school bag should not exceed from the prescribed limit. Further specifying the weight of school bag for the students the order said that for students of classes 1 and 2 the school bag weight should not exceed 1.5 kg, while for the students of class 3 to 5 it should weigh between 2 kg to 3 kg. Further, for the student of class 6 and 7 the weight of the bag should not exceed 4 kg, and for the classes, 8 and 9 it should not be above 4.5 kg. Lastly, for the student of class 10 the school bag weight should not exceed from 5 kg, said the order.

The weighty issue

The issue of excessive school bag weight for students of classes 1 to 6 has been of concern in India from a long time. The Children School Bag (Limitation of Weight) Act, formed in 2006, stated that it was the duty of the appropriate government to ensure that the weight of the school bag of a child is not more than ten per cent of the weight of the child. 

The Logical Indian spoke to Mamta Agarwal, mother of Ayan, a fourth standard student, about the weighty issue of a heavy school bag. “When I pick up my son’s school bag, then I realise how heavy it is. I feel it difficult to carry it in my hand. Imagine our kids have to carry them around all day,” she said.

According to a survey by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) under its, Healthcare Committee it has found that 68 per cent of school children under the age of 13 years across India suffer from mild back pain, which can develop into chronic pain and later into a hunchback, as reported by The New Indian Express.

Maybe keeping the same in mind the MHRD thus has instructed all schools falling under the Department of Education, to work with the Government of India to form instructions with regards to homework and excessive school bag weight, with immediate effect. 

Earlier, the Telangana government in 2017 had implemented a law where schools were asked to ensure that the weight of the school bags does not exceed 5 kg. In 2012, in Kolkata, some schools had introduced lockers to lessen students’ burden of carrying heavy books every day.

Also Read: No School Bags Or Homework For Classes 1 & 2, Says CBSE