Education Department fixes limit on bag weight for school students

SRINAGAR — The School Education Department on Friday said that there shall be no carrying of bags for the students of classes up to the preschool. It also said that the weight of school bags for students of classes I and II shall not have more than 1.5 kilograms.

According to the news agency KNO, the Director of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) has said, “The weight of the school bags as per the policy should be 1.5 kg for students of Classes I and II, 3 kg for Classes III and IV.”

The circular issued by the DSEK reads that the weight of school bags for Classes VI and VII shall be 4 kg and 5 kg for Classes VIII and IX followed by 5.5 kg for Class X.

DSEK said, “In compliance with the directions passed in a Public Interest Litigation, School Education Department had made the amendment to JK School Education Act 2002 by inserting Rule 8A, which mandates School Heads to regulate the weight of school bags and mandated Government to cancel the affiliation and recognition of the school violating provisions of Rule 8A.”

It also said that the rules that shall be added as Rule 8A include, “No homework is assigned to students of classes up to 2nd standard.”

The Director also said that no formal books are prescribed at Nursery, LKG and UKG levels. “However, students of these classes may be provided a maximum of two notebooks or workbooks to be kept in the teacher’s custody in the school itself,” it reads.

The circular also states that students of pre-primary level are not asked to carry any bag except a light carrier for a lunch box.

“No schools should prescribe any other subjects except Language and Arithmetic for classes 1st and 2nd, Language, Environmental Science (EVS) and Arithmetic for classes 3rd to 5th; and Language, Social Science, Mathematics and Science for Class 6th and 7th, or as prescribed by the affiliating authority,” it reads.

DSEK further said that the students shall not be asked to bring additional books and extra material to school.

The circular reads, “Government may cancel affiliation and recognition of the school violating the provisions of rule 8A.”