Students continue to carry heavy burden to schools; no relief despite court orders

KOCHI: Despite the intervention of courts and the union government, students in Kerala are travelling to their schools carrying a heavy burden of books. A child will suffer health problems if the weight of his bag exceeds one-tenth of his body weight. If the weight of the child is 30 kg, the weight of his bag including books should not exceed 3 kg. However, children in Kerala carry books that weigh around 25 percent of their weight in their bags.

Courts, including the Kerala High Court, had issued orders pointing out the disadvantages of carrying excessive burden. The Union Ministry of Education released a set of guidelines in this regard in December 2020. The directions were to divide books into different volumes, keep books and textbooks of smaller classes at school, avoid homework for first and second standards, prepare lunch and water in schools etc.

One book in Maharashtra

1. In Maharashtra, the state government combined the syllabus of classes 1 to 8 in a single book for each semester. The students will have to take only one book and one textbook to the school for each term. In Madhya Pradesh, the government has decided to implement a 'bag-less school' day once a week for students from Class 1 to Class 12 from this year onwards. Students will have physical education and music classes on these days.

2. In Kerala, although some books were made into two or three volumes, there has been no significant reduction in weight. The situation is no different in central syllabus schools. The High Court's directive to limit each volume to 60 pages and the central directive to print the weight in the book and the textbook were ignored. Volumes of up to 120 pages were distributed this time as well.

Class and weight of bags (as per Centre's guideline, weight in kg)
1,2..........................2

3-5..........................3

6,7..........................4

8-12........................5

Carrying excessive weights can cause health issues such as stunting of bone growth, severe fatigue, muscle pain, deviation in natural body curves, shoulder pain, back pain, breathing problems, mental fatigue, lack of interest in studies etc.