CBSE suggests measures to reduce weight of school bags

 Aiming to reduce the burden of school bags, the CBSE announced a host of measures –including restricting the number of textbooks  to the prescribed norms at primary and upper primary levels.

It asked the schools to ensure that their curriculum supports activity-based and Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) based learning in all major subjects at all levels “as far as possible”.

“Restrict the number of text books to the prescribed norms of the national Council for educational research and training (NCERT), particularly at the primary and upper primary levels,” the CBSE said in a notification to schools.

It said academic coordinators or supervisors at schools should ensure home work is spread out and not overloaded, it said, adding that books should not be covered with bio non-degradable plastic sheets.

The CBSE also said in its notification to provide racks with locks in all classrooms where reference books, sports equipments, uniforms and other items can be safely stored.

“Set up class libraries to promote reading habit,” it added, calling for a collaborative effort of stakeholders to reduce the burden of school bags.  Parents and teachers must ensure children carry books according to their time-tables and the suggestion should be implemented without any financial burden on parents, the Board said.

“School heads and teachers should ensure that senior students bring books according to the time-table, and discourage them from carrying heavy reference books or other such materials,” it said, asking schools to look at the possibilities of block scheduling of subject classes in class time-table.

The Board did not specify the precise weight of the school bags for children of different classes. In a separate advisory to schools, the board also asked them to frame a ‘mission statement’ specifying the goals that they would be achieving till the nation celebrates its 75th year of its Independence in 2022.  The advisory comes months after members of the central advisory board expressed deep concerns on the issue and asked the HRD ministry to come up with solutions.