Starting this November, experts will be weighing the schoolbags in some reputed schools across the city even as they deliberate on ways of reducing their weight from the next academic year.
Currently, schoolbags weigh between 7 kg and 22 kg, and experts point out that many of the books and heavy items carried by students could be avoided if the school managements encourage students to keep their books in the lockers and encourage them to maintain folders and files.
The Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) has formed four committees that will visit 24 schools across the city during the first week of November and weigh schoolbags of children studying in different classes, count the books and make note of the good and bad practices, said V.P. Niranjanaradhya, member of one of the committees. They also plan to look at models of other countries while framing guidelines on schoolbags.
Changing the school-based examination method, encouraging usage of electronic gadgets instead of books and revamping the timetable are some of the ideas mooted by the Education Department officials and experts to reduce the weight of schoolbags.
S. Jayakumar, DSERT Director, said that the committees would visit government, aided and unaided State board schools, schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations as well as international schools. “We will study the best practices followed by all schools before we submit our final recommendations to the government,” he added.
The DSERT had sought feedback and suggestions from the public on how the weight of schoolbags could be reduced and has compiled a list of 46 points. The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest decision-making body on education, had also taken upon itself the task of reducing the weight of schoolbags.
Attempts made for learning without burden
The Yash Pal Committee, which submitted its report ‘Learning without burden’ in 1993, stated that young children should not be compelled to carry heavy bags to schools. To put a cap on the weight of schoolbags, the Children School Bags (Limitation on Weight) Bill 2006 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, but was shelved later.
