New Delhi: In a directive to all states and union territories the Human Development ministry has asked them to not to give any homework for students of classes I and II and has also prescribed weight limit of school bags for each class.
The centre has asked all states and Union Territories to formulate guidelines to regulate the teaching of subjects and weight of school bags in accordance with the Government of India instructions.
As per the directive, which the schools have been asked to comply with, institutions cannot assign homework to students of classes I and II.
“Schools should not prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for classes I and II and language, EVS and mathematics for classes III to V students as prescribed by the NCERT,” the letter said.
Students should not be asked to bring additional books, extra materials and the weight of a school bag should not exceed the prescribed limit, the order added.
The weight of school bags for students of classes I and II should not exceed 1.5 kg, while the school bag of students of class III to V should weigh between 2 kg to 3 kg.
The school bag of students of classes VI and VII should not be more than 4 kg, while weight of school bags of classes VIII and IX students should not be above 4.5 kg.
The school bag of a class X student should not weigh above 5 kg, the order said. With the new guideline schools have been asked to stick to only NCERT textbooks that are prescribed in the syllabus.
The Telangana state government had passed orders in 2017 to reduce the weight of schoolbags in 2017. Parents said the children were still being forced to carry heavy bags.
According to the order issued by the TS government, the maximum weight of a school bag with textbooks and notebooks should not exceed 1.5 kg for Classes 1 and II. 2-3 kg for Classes III to V; 4 kg for Classes VI and VII; 4.50 kg for Classes VIII and IX and 5 kg for Class X students.
