The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to instruct the State governments and Union Territories to make sure that no school in the country, irrespective of the educational board it was affiliated to, prescribed homework for students in Classes I & II, in accordance with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) recommendations.
Fewer subjects
In his order, Justice N. Kirubakaran also said no school should force upon children any subject other than language and mathematics in Classes I and II.
Further, the only additional subject for Classes III-V should be environmental science, he said. Schools that flout the court’s directions on homework and number of subjects should be disaffiliated, he said.
The judge directed the Centre to make sure that every State government and Union Territory constitutes flying squads to conduct inspections in schools to monitor compliance with the directions. He, however, said schools should be first apprised of the orders by issuing necessary circulars.
“Neither children are weightlifters nor school bags load containers,” Justice Kirubakaran said before directing the Centre to formulate a policy forthwith on the lines of the Children School Bags (Limitation on Weight) Bill, 2006. He wanted the States to formulate such policies and reduce the books carried by children.
