BSS-01 Delhi govt fixes weight of school bags for class 1-10

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BSS-01

SCHOOL-BAGS-WEIGHT

Delhi govt fixes weight of school bags for class 1-10

By Aminul Islam Mirja

NEW DELHI, Dec 3, 2018 (BSS) – The Delhi government has officially fixed the weight

of school bags for class one to 10 as heavy school bags are a serious threat to the

health and wellbeing of the kids.

The Delhi government has issued a circular to this end on Saturday following centre’s

order and guidelines for capping the weight of school bags for classes 1 to 10.

According to the circular, school bags for students in class 1 and 2 should not be

above 1.5 kg; for classes 3 to 5 (two/three kg), classes 6-7 (four kg), class 8-9 (4.5

kg), and class 10 (five kg).

The circular asked the schools not to assign any home work to class 1 and two

children and inform the students in advance about the books, note books to be brought

to the school on a particular day.

“Heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of the school

going students. It has a severe adverse physical effect on the growing children which

can cause damage to their vertebral column and knees,” the circular said.

The load of the school bag, according to the circular, is increased by bringing

textbooks, guides, homework/class work notebooks, rough work notebooks, water bottles,

lunch box and sometimes the heavy bag itself.

“The schools running under directorate of the education have to follow the textbooks

prescribed by the SCERT, NCERT and CBSE,” it added.

The circular further said that the number of textbooks in different classes should

not exceed the number prescribed by the statutory bodies.

It asked the head of schools and teachers to frame a well-designed timetable for each

class so that children do not have to carry too many books to the school.

It also said that reading books in library and participation in games, sports, art,

culture and other creative and co-curricular activities for holistic development of

students must be encouraged.

“Three textbooks (Hindi, English and Mathematics) have been prescribed for classes 1

and 2. There shall not be any home work for these classes”, the circular said.

“As per the curriculum, six textbook have been prescribed for class six to 10, three

textbooks for three languages and one for math, science and social studies each,” said

the circular.

The ill-effects of heavy school bags may not be immediately evident but physicians

say they can have an adverse impact on the nervous system besides being a physical

burden for children.

They said heavy schoolbags can cause lasting damage like spinal deformities as

children’s skeletal frames are not fully formed, the Times of India reported quoting Dr

Ramneek Mahajan, Director, Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement, MAX Smart Super

Speciality Hospital, Delhi.

BSS/AIM/MRU/0827hrs