Kerala plans to reduce the weight of school bags; textbooks may be printed based on a monthly syllabus..
Under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, limits have been set for the weight of school bags. Although the Ministry of Education has issued directives regarding this, the increasing number of textbooks—driven by academic pressure—has led to heavier school bags, a source of concern for both students and educators. In this context, the Kerala government has developed a framework to reduce the weight of school bags, proposing several measures to achieve this. A meeting to discuss this matter is scheduled for November 24.
Let us examine the issue in detail and explore the Kerala government’s preparations for reducing school bag weight. We will also look at the weight limits prescribed under the National Education Policy 2020 and the specific regulations concerning school bag weight for different grade levels.
Meeting on November 24
Kerala’s Minister for General Education, N. Shamsudheen, stated on Monday that the state government will hold a meeting on November 24 to discuss measures to reduce the weight of school bags. He noted that these measures include potential changes to the printing and distribution of textbooks.
Shamsudheen was responding to a request raised in the Legislative Assembly by K.K. Valsaraj, an MLA from the Communist Party of India (CPI), who highlighted the difficulties faced by high school students due to the excessive weight of their school bags. Valsaraj presented this request on behalf of students from a government school in the Kaipamangalam assembly constituency.
Books to be printed on a monthly or half-yearly basis
Shamsuddin stated that the issue of reducing the weight of school bags is already under the department's consideration and was discussed in a previous meeting. He mentioned that one option being explored is to organize the syllabus and print textbooks on a monthly or half-yearly basis, which would help reduce the weight of students' school bags. Shamsuddin added that the department is also looking into the possibility of using lighter-weight paper for printing the textbooks.
School bags should not exceed 10% of a child's body weight
Under the guidelines set by the Ministry of Education and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the weight of a school bag should not exceed 10% of the child's total body weight. For instance, if a child weighs 30 kilograms, their school bag should not weigh more than 3 kilograms. Additionally, specific weight limits for school bags have been established for each grade level:
Pre-primary: No bag
Classes 1 and 2: 1.6 to 2.2 kilograms
Classes 3 to 5: 1.7 to 2.5 kilograms
Classes 6 and 7: 2 to 3 kilograms
Class 8: 2.5 to 4 kilograms
Classes 9 and 10: 2.5 to 4.5 kilograms
Classes 11 and 12: 3.5 to 5 kilograms
10 'bagless days' per year
The government is concerned about the increasing weight of school bags. In response, the central government has issued directives for schools to observe 10 'bagless days' each academic year. Furthermore, it has been made mandatory for schools to have a weighing scale available. So that the weight of school bags can be measured.
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