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Weighed Down by School Bags, Students in Delhi Have Few Options

Delhi government may have fixed the weight of school bags from classes I to X but students still feel burdened.

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Education
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Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

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For Komal*, a student of class II at a government school in south Delhi, her pink bag with Barbie doll painted on its front side is not less than a treasure.

Everyday Komal carries the bag on her shoulders, stuffed with at least eight to nine books and copies as she walks up to her school. ‘Apart from regular set of books, I carry a diary as well for preparing notes’, says Komal as we discuss her daily routine.

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Class II Student Carrying a Bag Equivalent to Class IX

With Komal’s bag weighing 4.6 kg, she is, unknowingly of course, carrying more than twice the weight that has been prescribed by the Delhi government recently.

In a circular dated 1 December 2018, the Delhi government fixed the weight of school bags for students of classes I to X. For students of classes I and II, the circular states that their bags should not weigh more than 1.5 kg. State governments, including Delhi, have come up with guidelines on the weight of school bags after they were told to do so by the HRD Ministry.

Delhi government may have fixed the weight of school bags from classes I to X but students still feel burdened.

At 4.6 kg, Komal is carrying a bag equivalent to that of a class IX student!

For other classes the maximum weight of school bag, as approved by the state government is as follows:

  1. Classes III to V: 2-3 Kg
  2. Classes VI to VII: 4 Kg
  3. Classes VIII to IX: 4.5 Kg
  4. Class X: 5 Kg

In the same government school in south Delhi, students of class I were sitting on top of a cotton durrie spread across the floor. At 2.1 kg, Leena*, a student of class I, may not be facing any health problem but technically speaking, even she is carrying a bag daily, more than the prescribed weight limit.

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Extra Diary Needed for Notes

Himanshi*, a student of class VI in a Rajkiya Kanya Ucch Madhyamik Vidyalaya (government school with classes upto XII) aspires to become a doctor. She doesn’t like it when her bag is lighter as compared to other days when it weighs 5.2 kg. A heavy bag gives this sixth grader an assurance that she will do well in exams and fulfill her dream one day.

With five books and an equal number of copies, Himanshi’s bag also doesn’t comply with the weight limit, as has been suggested by the Delhi government.

“At times, the bag is heavy, but I don’t complain as everyone at home will start worrying unnecessarily. After joining a learning center that’s being run by an NGO, I prefer carrying an extra copy and diary.”
Himanshi (Student, Class VI)
Delhi government may have fixed the weight of school bags from classes I to X but students still feel burdened.

This teaching centre where Himanshi spends an hour daily after school helped in clearing her doubts on LCM (Least Common Multiple) problems in Maths and clarified her doubts regarding identification of a proper noun.

So, that extra diary and copy, meant for preparing notes at the training centre, are something Himanshi can’t leave behind at home.

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Students in the Dark About New Guidelines

Most of the students that The Quint spoke to were not aware about recent guidelines nor were they told about permissible limit regarding the weight of bags by their respective teachers. Due permission was taken from the principal in south Delhi as well as the mentor of the training centre being run by an NGO after which the interviews of students were recorded.

On being asked how the school will ensure the policy on weight of school bags is implemented in letter and spirit, the principal of an MCD school in south Delhi said:

“We are aware of the recent circular and would be discussing with our staff as to how we can implement the same.”
Principal of a govt school in south Delhi

According to an activist associated with an NGO that provides teaching facilities at under-resourced schools, an initiative related to cupboards didn’t work out.

‘We encouraged students to keep books in a cupboard inside certain classrooms but soon some students started complaining after their books went missing’, says the activist who has worked with schools earlier in Ahmedabad and is now managing a training center in Delhi.

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Is ‘Support Material’ to be Blamed for Extra Weight?

For Monalisa*, who would be sitting for board exams in less than three months, it is mandatory to carry books of all the subjects to school daily.

“I have six subjects to study, so, I carry all the notebooks and books along with tiffin and a geometry box. It’s actually the Maths and Science books that are quite heavy.”
Monalisa, Student (Class X)
Delhi government may have fixed the weight of school bags from classes I to X but students still feel burdened.

On being asked whether her friends also carry books of all subjects to school, Monalisa said, ‘it’s even worse as other students also carry support material for the subjects of Maths, Science and Social Studies’.

Usually students at government schools prefer NCERT textbooks but some schools also distribute separate books of different subjects, commonly referred to as ‘supporting material’.

Delhi government may have fixed the weight of school bags from classes I to X but students still feel burdened.
In addition to NCERT textbooks, students of class X often carry ‘Support Material’ for Maths and Science subjects.
(Photo: Akanksha Kumar/ The Quint)

The supporting material usually has chapters in condensed form with brief pointers and has objective as well as subjective questions in order to give students a sense of the exam paper.

“It’s the teachers at our school who suggested that NCERT textbooks are not sufficient and therefore, we prefer ‘support material’. When the session began, we were given only textbooks but since exams are drawing near, we have now been given support material as well for all the subjects except Hindi and Sanskrit.”
Monalisa, Student (Class X)
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Private Schools Fall Prey to Publishers’ Demands

While government schools don’t mind handing out extra books in the name of ‘support material’, private schools often fall prey to publishers who offer more lucrative deals.

An educationist who has been working with government schools in Delhi since last two years told The Quint:

“Private schools do follow the syllabus which has been prescribed. However, at times, these schools prescribe books that are not part of the curriculum as they get a commission, and this also results in heavier bags.”
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Demand for Re-structuring the Syllabus

For Sharmila, whose children study in class VI, VIII and X respectively, packing bag as per the school time-table is among her foremost priorities.

Compared to the pressure that kids endure these days, measures such as limiting the weight of school bags seem half-hearted to parents like Sharmila.

“They should do something about the syllabus, nothing will happen with just reducing the weight of bags.”
Sharmila, Parent

It seems that the policy-makers should have spent more time on the weighty issue of course and figuring out a way of embracing smart classroom instead of merely calibrating bags based on weight!

*Names have been changed on request

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Topics:  Delhi Government   HRD Ministry   Book 

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