Telangana govt lessens burden on school kids, caps weight of bags - Details here

According to the Government Order, the maximum weight of a school bag with textbooks and notebooks should not exceed 1.5 kg for Class I and II and 2 to 3 kg for Classes III to V.

Hyderabad: The sight of children trudging to school, puffing and panting, may soon become a thing of past, with the Telangana government capping the weight of their school bags between 1.5 kg and 5 kg.

It has also barred schools from assigning homework to students of primary grades--I to V.

In a bid to tackle the weighty issue, the government has come out with an order for school management that would take much of the burden off the backs of students from grade I to X so they are protected against "adverse physical effects and anxiety disorders" caused by hefty schoolbags.

According to the Government Order (GO) issued yesterday, the maximum weight of a school bag with textbooks and notebooks should not exceed 1.5 kg for Class I and II and 2 to 3 kg for Classes III to V.

"For Classes VI and VII, the weight should not exceed 4 kg and for Classes VIII and IX, it should not be more than 4.50 kg. In the case of Class X, it should not be more than 5 kg," the order said.

There is more cheer in store for students as the GO said there shall not be any homework for primary grade children.

According to some estimates, schoolchildren currently carry bags weighing anywhere between 6 kg and 12 kg at primary level and up to 17 kg at high school level, it said.

"This (heavy schools bags) results in severe, adverse physical effect on the growing children and can cause damage to their vertebral column, knees. It can also cause anxiety disorders in students," the order said.

Their misery gets compounded where schools function in multi-storeyed buildings as they have to climb stairs carrying bags that are bursting at seams.

The general guidelines issued to reduce the load of children said schools should focus on making them understand concepts rather than make them learn by rote. Schools should encourage students to read library books and participate in games, sports, art, culture and other creative activities.

The use of guides and guide-type study material should be avoided and children should be made to think, imagine and construct their own answers, the order said.

"Games and sports in the evenings must be encouraged rather than engaging the children just in tuition and homework. Recreation and physical activity is a must for a growing child."

In the guidelines for primary schools, the government said there should be one notebook of 100 pages for each subject for undertaking formative assessment items such as textbook exercises and projects.

"Schools should provide safe drinking water to avoid children getting water bottles from their houses," the order said.