Thiruvananthapuram: The CBSE has decided to reduce the weight of schoolbags and asked all affiliated schools to stop giving homework to children of standard I and II. It has sought a written assurance from the teachers and principals of the schools in this regard.
CBSE regional officer Tarun Kumar told DC that action would be taken against schools which violated the assurance.
Earlier, the CBSE had banned homework in standard I and II as per the directive of the Madras High Court which said that schoolchildren are neither weightlifters nor schoolbags load containers.
The court directed the Central government to instruct the state governments and union territories to reduce the weight of school bags and do away with homework for classes I and II.
It asked the Centre to formulate a policy forthwith on the lines of the Children School Bags (Limitation on Weight) Bill, 2006 and direct the state governments not to prescribe any homework for class I and II students in the state board, matriculation and Anglo-Indian schools.
As per norms, schools cannot prescribe any subject other than language and mathematics for class 1 and 2. For classes till standard V, the CBSE prescribes only environment science and for Classes 2 to 5 mathematics. The judge posted the matter after four weeks for a compliance report by the centre, the state governments and the union territories.
