Now, ‘No-bag Day’ will be once a month in state board schools

On these days, students will be encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities

The government has decided to have ‘No-bag Day’ at state board schools once a month instead of once a week as was decided earlier.

The Samagra Sikshana Karnataka (SSK) has issued a circular asking all schools to observe one Saturday every month as ‘No-bag Day,’ when students will be encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities.

For this purpose, the SSK has even released activity books for teachers and students.

“The activity books on 10 subjects can be downloaded from the DSERT website,” reads the circular.

‘Health issues’

Considering the health issues among kids because of the heavy bag weight, the department of public instruction had decided to make every Saturday ‘no-bag day’.

But it was not effective and a majority of schools did not follow it.

It can be recalled that a committee, headed by academician V P Niranjanaradhya, had submitted its report in May 2016 recommending ‘No-bag Day’ and also fixing bag weight according to kids’ age and grade.

‘Setting example’

Even Section 29 of the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act says that the weight of schoolbags must be reduced to ease the burden on students.

Little Flower Public School, in Banashankari, Bengaluru, had set an example by following ‘No-bag Day’ since 2012.

Following a survey which revealed several health issues among kids, especially back pain because of carrying heavy bags, the school made every Wednesday a ‘No-bag Day’.