Delhi government issues order to implement school bag policy

NEW DELHI: In line with the National Education Policy, where it has been stated that the weight of school bags should not be more than 10 per cent of the student’s body weight, the government of Delhi has issued an order to keep check on school bag weight. In a letter to the school principals, the Directorate of Education talked about the serious health issues growing students often face due to heavy school bags. The recommendations made in the letter included no textbooks for preprimary classes, single notebooks for classes 1 and 2, frequent checks of school bag weight, encouraging the use of bags with two straps, and informing about the appropriate kinds of school bags to use.

Due to increasing studies, people are realizing how heavy school bags pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of school students. Heavy school bags can have adverse physical effects on the growing children, which can cause damage to their vertebral column and knees. The letter added that many children have to climb the stairs with heavy bags in the schools which are functioning in double or multi storey buildings.

The order issued by the Delhi government has asked heads of schools and teachers to frame a well-designed timetable for each class to prevent children from carrying too many books or notebooks to the school each day, and the number of textbooks in different classes should not exceed the number prescribed by the statutory bodies.