Students enrolled in private schools following the State board syllabus, who were looking forward to lugging lighter bags, may not get much of a reprieve this academic year.
School managements have written to the Chief Minister’s office saying they will not be able to comply with the order issued by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education setting a limit on the weight of school bags.
The letter, sent to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy by the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), pointed out that the order was drafted in an ‘unscientific manner’. “Many of the school bags in the market weigh around 2 kg. None of the stakeholders were consulted before the order was issued,” said D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the association, which represents hundreds of schools.
He added that the Chief Minister’s office had assured him that they would call a meeting with private school managements to discuss their concerns.
As per the department’s order issued in May, a bag of a student in Class 1 or 2 should weigh no more than 2 kg. It can weigh anywhere between 2 and 3 kg for students from Class 3 to 5. The prescribed weight increases progressively, with students in Class 9 and 10 allowed to carry bags in the 4-5 kg range.
Teachers pointed out that the order is not practical. “It states that we should provide lockers, and students can leave some books behind. This will have an adverse impact on many students, as they will need to take their books home so that they can revise what they have learnt in classes,” said teachers, adding that it would be especially difficult for children who need extra attention.
The department had also recently issued an order stating that schools will have to prescribe NCERT textbooks. Committees will be formed to inspect this as well as to ensure no homework is being given to students of classes one and two.
