School Education Saga-III: Schoolkids enduring burden of heavy bags everyday

Hyderabad: Are the heavy loads of school bags breaking students' backs? The two exclusive government orders issued to regulate the school bag burden of lakhs of children in Telangana seem to have gone for a toss.

According to sources in the Telangana State School Education Department (TSSED), the G.O.Ms.No. 22 of July 18, 2017 was issued on the reduction of school bag burden.

Speaking to The Hans India, a TSSED official said it was exclusively issued to address the issue of school bag burden, following the feedback to the department that the load of a school bag in some of the districts weighed from 6 to 12 kg for primary school students and 12 to 17 kg for high school students. The heavy bags will take a toll on the physical health of the children, including causing damage to their vertebral column and knees.

Besides, the students will have to climb steps with heavy school bags, which would further aggravate their health. The heavy load was caused with the children bringing textbooks, guides, homework notebooks, rough work notebooks, drawing and geometry boxes, and more every day to the classes. Besides, they will also have to carry lunch boxes and water bottles to the schools.

In addition to addressing the issue in 2017, the TSSED has also reminded the schools about the G.O.Ms.No.17 of May 14, 2005. The said government order stipulates that subject-wise guides or guide-type study material/workbooks are not to be used as stipulated in the said GO. Instead, the children are expected to write answers to the questions and other tasks given in the textbooks on their own to be corrected by the teachers.

The TSSED sources said that currently, the two government orders regulate the school bag burden on children not only attending the government but also aided, unaided and private schools.

The GO issued on June 28, 2017, has come into force from the academic year 2017-2018. Following this, currently, the weight of the school bags with books carried by the students attending Classes I and II shall not exceed 1.5 kg. The weight should not be above 2 to 3 kg for classes III to V. Similarly, for the Upper Primary Classes from VI to VII, the weight of the school bag with books shall not exceed 4 kg, and for classes VIII to IX, it should be not more than 4.5 kg and the weight of the school bag for Class X students should not more than 5 kg.

An elaborate dossier was given for the strict implementation of the regulations by the schools. Also, it is mandatory on the part of the schools, irrespective of the management to inform students and parents about the regulations and ensure supervision and implementation of the regulations.

On the part of the teachers, they should inform the students in advance about the books and notebooks they have to bring on any given day to the school. This is to prevent students from carrying all subject books in their bags to the school.

Further, parents should be briefed on the broad-padded straps for symmetrical distribution of weight, using both straps while carrying the bag and not slinging the bag over just one shoulder, keeping the bag down while waiting for the school bus and other conveyance or during the school assembly.