DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand’s education department has introduced a new initiative to standardise school bag weights for Classes 1-12, aiming to reduce the physical and mental burden on students. Despite previous attempts, education standards have not seen significant improvement, leading strategists to propose this new measure.In line with guidelines issued by the Government of India, the state education ministry has decided to regulate the weight of school bags to alleviate the load on students and enable them to focus more on learning. The recent directive includes setting weight limits for school bags in both government and private institutions.The weight limits for school bags have been set as follows:Classes 1-2: 1.5 kgClasses 3-5: 2-3 kgClasses 6-7: 4 kgClasses 8-9: 4.5 kgClass 10: 5 kgDespite these new regulations, students in primary classes are still carrying heavy bags, weighing up to 10-12 kg. The education department has instructed all districts to comply with the new weight limits, and if these limits are not adhered to, instructions will be reissued and strictly enforced.Uttarakhand has recently made significant progress in education, climbing 26 places to secure the 9th position in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) released by the Ministry of Education. This impressive ranking reflects the state’s advancements in education quality, accessibility, infrastructure development, and facilities.Deputy Director of Education, Kamla Badwal, stated, “Instructions were issued to all districts regarding reducing school bag weights. If the weights aren’t reduced, instructions will be reissued and strictly enforced.”Education Secretary, Ravinath Raman, had previously communicated with the Director-General of Education on August 20, emphasising the need to lighten school bags.Virendra Singh Rawat, retired Additional Director of Primary Education and a proponent of significant reforms, expressed concerns about the current state of education. He told TNIE, “I firmly believe we’re losing sight of the fundamental principles of education in our rush for technological advancement and modernisation. We’ve sidelined these core values, and it’s time to reinstate them.”Rawat, with three decades of experience, proposed an innovative solution to reduce school bag weights. He suggested, “Instead of teaching the same subjects every day, schools can alternate days for each subject. By segregating subjects in this manner, notebooks and books can be reduced, ultimately lightening the load of school bags.”
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