The Madhya Pradesh government has announced ‘bag less school’ day once a week for students in classes 1 to 12, starting from the upcoming academic session in 2024-25. This decision applies to all government and private schools operating in the state.
The state government, aiming to alleviate the burden on students, has issued a notice outlining the maximum permissible weight of school bags for different classes.
According to the notice, students in classes 1 and 2 should carry bags weighing between 1.6-2.2 kg, while those in classes 3 to 5 should limit their bags to 1.7-2.5 kg. For classes 6 and 7, the recommended weight is 2-3 kg, and for classes 8, 2.5-4 kg. Students in classes 9 and 10 are advised to carry bags weighing between 2.5-4.5 kg.
Additionally, the weight of school bags for students in classes 11 and 12 will be determined by the school management committee based on the students’ respective streams.
Uday Pratap Singh, the Minister of School Education, emphasized the objective of this initiative in an interview with ANI, said, “To avoid stress on children due to the burden of their bags, we have categorized the weight of bags of students according to their class.” Singh further explained that the initiative includes a designated ‘bag less school’ day each week, during which students are encouraged to engage in recreational activities such as games, sports, cultural programs, and music.
The minister emphasized that the aim is to ensure that school is not perceived as a source of stress for students but rather a source of joy. Strict instructions have been issued to schools to adhere to the new school bag policy from the commencement of the academic session in 2024-25.
(Inputs from ANI)