Assam: Education officials directed to ensure reduction in weight of school bags

 Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The School Education Department has directed all District Elementary Education Officers (DEEO) and Inspectors of Schools (IS) to ensure strict compliance with the government’s order issued in 2018 regarding reduction in the weight of school bags.

They have been requested to ensure physical verification of the schools under their jurisdiction and take the necessary steps against any defaulting school. The order has been issued for the new academic year 2024–25, which started recently.

This has been done because the school bags that students have to carry to school each day exceed the weight restrictions imposed for students in different classes or standards. Health issues like body aches and fatigue from lugging the hefty bags emerged among the small children. Parents have also been voicing their concern over the issue, as schools have been ignoring the earlier order with specific total weights fixed for school students from Class I to X.

It should be mentioned here that the state government issued a notification on December 12, 2018, directing the concerned officials of the school education department to check the weight of the school bags carried by students to schools. Specifications regarding the weight of the school bags for students from Class I to X were issued. The officials were directed to carry out physical verification of the school bags to ensure that they adhered to the weight specifications fixed by the department.

The total maximum weight of the school bags fixed for students was: Class I and II- 1.5 kg; Class III to V- 2-3 kg; Class VI and VII-4 kg; Class VIII and IX—4.5 kg; and Class X—5 kg. The order brought relief to the parents of the school-going children that they would not be overburdened by the load that their kids had to carry to school each day. It was voiced by the parents that their children complained of aches in parts of the body, especially the back and shoulders, due to the weight of the school bags. Different measures, like keeping textbooks and class notebooks at the school instead of students having to lug the weighty bags every day, were also mooted.

However, their joy was short-lived as the schools adhered to the norms for a brief period of time before reverting to the older practice of asking the students to bring all textbooks, notebooks, practical copies, etc. required for the day.

The school education department has, therefore, again instructed all DEEOs and Inspectors of Schools to carry out physical verification of the load of school bags, materials, workbooks, etc. in schools under their jurisdiction and ensure strict compliance with the implementation of the government notification issued earlier.

Also Read: National Human Rights and Crime Control Bureau stresses regulating weight of school bags (sentinelassam.com)

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