The Education Ministry recommended a slew of measures under the new school bag policy with the focus on the New Education Policy.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020
Key-Points
School bags should not be more than 10% of the body weight of students across classes I to X and there should be no homework till class II.
The new ‘Policy on School Bag 2020’ of the Union ministry of education also recommends that the weight of the bag needs to be monitored on a regular basis in schools.
They should be light-weight with two padded and adjustable straps that can squarely fit on both shoulders and no wheeled carriers should be allowed.
The policy even recommends that the weight of each textbook may come printed on them by the publishers.
The recommendations have been arrived based on various surveys and studies conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
The ‘Policy on School Bag 2020’ made 11 recommendations on the weight of the bags, including adequate good quality mid-day meal and potable water to all the students so that they need not carry lunch boxes or water bottles.
The policy said there should be no bags in pre-primary. For classes I and II the bag weight range should be between 1.6 kg to 2.2 kg. Like-wise it should be 1.7 kg to 2.5 kg, 2 kg to 3 kg, 2.5 to 4 kg, 2.5 kg to 4.5 kg and 3.5 kg to 5 kg for classes III to V, classes VI and VII, class VIII, classes IX and X and classes XI and XII respectively.
