No homework for Class 2, bagless day in a week: MP govt’s guidelines on reducing school bag weight

NEW DELHI : The Madhya Pradesh school education department has issued guidelines on reducing the weight of bags of students studying in government, non-government and aided schools of the state. No homework for Class 2 students, bagless day in a week and conduct of classes without textbooks for subjects such as computer, general science are part of state government's guidelines on reducing school bag weight.

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“In view of the implementation of the National Education Policy, in compliance with the School Bag Policy 2020 issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy, the following guidelines have been issued for the school bags of students studying in all government, non-government and aided schools,” the order read.

Weight of books

Class wise weight of books for students is determined as follows:

Students’ bags should not have more books than the textbooks prescribed by the state government and prescribed by National Council for Educational and Research Training ( NCERT ), the government order said.

The school education department asked schools not to give homework to Class 2 students whereas, a maximum homework of 2 hours per week for Class 3 to 5, one hour everyday for Class 6 to 8 students and 2 hours everyday for students of Classes 9 to 12. Schools will have to display bag weight chart on the notice board and in the classrooms. School diary will be included in bag weight.

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The department asked the school management committee to prepare such a timetable for students that they are not required to bring all the books everyday and their school bag weight doesn’t cross the given limit. It asked schools to keep practice books, workbooks and other important items for students of Classes upto 8 in classrooms only.

Classes for computer, moral education and general science subjects along with health, physical education, sports and arts should be taught without books, it added. School bag should be light and fit on the shoulders of students, the order said.

The school education department asked schools to mark one day in a week as ‘bagless day’ and hold business experience related activities on that day.