School bags can weigh up to 10% of body weight, suggests new policy

School bags can weigh up to 10% of body weight, suggests new policy

Says No Homework Till Class II

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  09.12.2020

School bags should not be more than 10% of the body weight across classes I to X and there should be no homework till Class II. The new ‘Policy on School Bag 2020’ of the Union ministry of education also recommends that the weight of the bag needs to be monitored on a regular basis in schools. They should be light-weight with two padded and adjustable straps that can squarely fit on both shoulders and no wheeled carriers should be allowed as these may hurt children. The policy even recommends that the weight of each textbook may come printed on them by the publishers.

The recommendations have been arrived based on various surveys and studies conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The policy stated that data collected from 3,624 students and 2,992 parents from 352 schools, which include Kendriya Vidyalayas and state government schools were analysed. The surveys found that children upto class IV are carrying bags of weight 2 to 3 kg more than the universally accepted practice of weight which is 10% of the body weight. And the burden of bags increases as children move to higher classes.

The survey findings highlighted that items like textbooks (500 gms to 3.5 kg), notebooks (200 gms to 2.5 kg, lunch box (200 gms to 1 kg), and water bottles (200 gms to 1 kg) are found contributing to excessive load. The weight of the empty bag was also found to be varying from 150 gms to 1 kg. Based on these and other findings, the ‘Policy on School Bag 2020’ made 11 recommendations on the weight of the bags. Apart from restricting the overall weight of the bags to 10% of the body weight of the student, the policy recommended adequate good quality mid-day meal and potable water to all the students.

The policy also recommended that children with special needs (CWSN) be provided a double set of textbooks, through book banks in schools and lockers in classes installed for students with disabilities for storing and retrieving books and other items. Recommending a class-wise school bag weight, the policy stated that there should be no bags in pre-primary. For classes I and II the bag weight range should be between 1.6 kg to 2.2 kg. Likewise it should be 1.7 kg to 2.5 kg, 2 kg to 3 kg, 2.5 to 4 kg, 2.5 kg to 4.5 kg and 3.5 kg to 5 kg for classes III to V, classes VI and VII, class VIII, classes IX and X and classes XI and XII respectively.

The surveys also found that homework too varies class wise from 0 to 2 hours daily for classes I-II, to 2 to 5 hours from classes III onwards. Recommending that total study time should be accounted for while planning the syllabus or course of study for students, especially in higher grades, the policy stated that while there should be no homework upto class II and a maximum of two hours per week for classes III to V, the homework duration for classes VI to VIII should not exceed one hour a day and two hours a day for classes IX and above.

While sharing the report, the MoE in November last week had also requested state governments to adopt relevant suggestions of the School Bag Policy and National Education Policy (NEP 2020).

The policy suggests that school bags should be light-weight with two padded and adjustable straps that can squarely fit on both shoulders