Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 04:52 AM IST
Schoolbags to get lighter, homework from Class 3
Schools have also been asked to stick to only NCERT textbooks that are prescribed in the syllabus.
New Delhi: In a major relief to students and parents across the country, the Centre has issued a directive to all states and Union Territories saying that no homework should be given to students of Classes 1 and 2 and prescribed the weight limit of school bags for each class, with the lightest being 1.5 kg, and the heaviest, 5 kgs. Asking all states and UTs to formulate guidelines to regulate the teaching of subjects and the weight of school bags in accordance with its instructions, the directive from the human resource development (HRD) ministry says that students should not be asked to bring additional books, extra materials and the weight of a school bag should not exceed the prescribed limit. The weight of school bags for students of Classes 1 and 2 is not to exceed 1.5 kg, while the school bag of students of Class 3 to 5 should weigh between 2 kg to 3 kg.
The directive, which all schools have to comply with, said, “Schools should not prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for Classes 1 and 2 and language, EVS and mathematics for Classes 3 to 5 students as prescribed by the NCERT.”
While institutions can no longer assign homework to students of Classes 1 and 2, the school bag of students of Classes 6 and 7 should not be more than 4 kg, while weight of school bags of classes VIII and IX students should not be above 4.5 kg. The school bag of a class X student should not weigh above 5 kg, the order said. Schools have also been asked to stick to only NCERT textbooks that are prescribed in the syllabus.
The Centre’s directive came after the Madras high court had, earlier this year, said, “The children are neither weightlifters nor are schoolbags loaded containers. Joy, happiness, enthusiasm, trolling, rolling, kicking, running, fighting, playing with other children are natural qualities of children.”
The court’s observation came while passing an interim order in May on a petition seeking directions to schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education to purchase only NCERT books.
