New Delhi: The Delhi government has directed schools in the national Capital to implement the new "school bag policy" to reduce the weight of school bags and the burden of students.
"Heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and well-being of school students. These have adverse physical effects on the growing children which can cause damage to their vertebral column and knees.
Moreover, in the schools which are functioning in double or multi storey buildings, children have to climb the stairs with heavy school bags which further aggravates the problem," the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a letter to school principals.
The Ministry of Education had notified the new school bag policy last month which is in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP).
From no textbooks for pre-primary classes to single notebook for classes 1 and 2, frequent checks of school bags to ensure students do not carry heavy weight, informing the students and parents regarding appropriate kind of school bags and encouraging students to use both straps of bags, are among the recommendations made by the government.
"The load of school bag is increased by bringing textbooks, guides, homework or classwork notebooks, rough work notebooks, water bottles, lunch box, and sometimes the heavy weight of the school bag itself. The number of textbooks in different classes should not exceed the number prescribed by the statutory bodies.
Heads of schools and teachers should frame a well-designed timetable for each class so that children do not have to carry too many books or notebooks to the school each day," it said.
"For other classes, there shall be one notebook for each subject for exercises, projects, unit tests, experiments, among others, which the students need to bring as per the timetable. Students should not be asked to bring additional books or extra materials to the school," the letter stated.
As per the suggestions, which are in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP), the weight of school bags for students between classes 1-10 should not be more than 10 per cent of their body weight.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has also directed all schools in the national Capital to sensitise parents against driving of vehicles by underage students and about its legal consequences.
Schools have also been asked to ensure that no student who is underage be allowed to commute to and from school driving any vehicle.
"Incidents of offences by juveniles while driving vehicles are on the rise. In this context, attention of all parents and heads of schools of Delhi is brought to the Section 199 A (1 and 2) and 199 B of 'The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019'...," the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a letter to school principals.
The law states that if an offence has been committed by a juvenile, "the guardian
of or the owner of the motor vehicle shall be deemed to be guilty of the contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly", it said.