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No Homework, No Heavy Bags for Students: Delhi Government
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development earlier this week had asked the states and UTs to ensure that there is no homework for students of Classes I and II and the guidelines capping the weight of school bags for classes I-X are adhered to.
The Delhi government released a circular on Saturday; the weight of a school bag in Delhi has been officially fixed. It says school bags for students in
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Class I and II – Not above 1.5 kg
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Classes III to V – 3-4 kg
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Classes VI-VII – 4 kg
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Classes VIII-IX – 4.5 kg
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Class X – 5 kg
Schools are required to inform students in advance about the books and notebooks to be brought to the school on a particular day. The Delhi Directorate of Education has followed the Centre’s order and guidelines for capping school bag weight for classes I to X.
The circular also directs schools not to assign any homework to students of Class I and II.
As per the circular, "Heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of the school students. It has a severe adverse physical effect on the growing children which can cause damage to their vertebral column and knees".
Further, the circular said, "The schools running under Directorate of Education have to follow the textbooks prescribed by the SCERT, NCERT and CBSE. The number of textbooks in different classes should not exceed the number prescribed by the statutory bodies. The Head of schools and teachers should frame a well-designed timetable for each class so that children do not have to carry too many books to the school,"
The circular has stressed upon the encouragement of reading library books and participation in games, sports, art & culture and other creative and co-curricular activities for holistic development of students.
"Three textbooks (of Hindi, English and Mathematics) have been prescribed for classes I and II. There shall not be any homework for these classes,"
"As per the curriculum, six textbooks have been prescribed for classes VI to X — three textbooks for three languages and one for Maths, Science and Social Studies each," said the circular. There shall be one notebook for each subject for exercises, projects, Unit Test, experiments etc. which the students need to bring as per timetable. Students should not be asked to bring additional books, extra material to the school." it said.
"The students should always use both straps for carrying the bags and should not sling the bag over one shoulder. The students should keep the bag down while waiting for the school conveyance or in the school assembly," the circular added.
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development earlier this week had asked the states and UTs to ensure that the guidelines are adhered to.