Will just 10 bagless days a year be enough to reduce burden on kids?

In a bid to alleviate the burden of heavy school bags the Union government is considering making 10 ldquobaglessrdquo days mandatory each year Following a meeting on July 10 the Union Ministry of School Education has established a team to draft guidelines for this initiativeWhile the Union Ministry of Education is considering making the ldquoNo Bags Dayrdquo policy mandatory for all schools across the country This initiative proposing 10 bagless days per year aims to address the persistent issue of heavy school bags But is this measure sufficient How are schools currently managing this challengemidday spoke with parents school officials and other stakeholders to gather their opinions on the proposed policy and get a clearer picture of the policyrsquos potential impact and effectiveness in alleviating the burden on studentsNEP meetingOn July 10 Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan led a meeting in Delhi to discuss the National Education Policy NEP and upcoming educational strategies for the next five years He emphasised the importance of a ldquounified education systemrdquo between state and central governments to enhance educational standards nationwide stating that education is a ldquofundamental pillarrdquo of Prime Minister Modirsquos vision for a developed IndiaPradhan called for collective efforts to advance education noting that the NEP has already improved the countryrsquos educational landscape He highlighted Indiarsquos responsibility as a young nation to foster good citizenship through education and stressed the need for a modern system focused on technology and skill development to enhance employment opportunitiesMinister of State Jayant Chaudhary supported Pradhanrsquos perspective describing the 2020 Education Policy as a significant step towards progressReducing the burdenThe Union Ministry of Education is preparing guidelines for the concept of bagless days in schools This concept is expected to be implemented nationwide soon On these days students will be taken on field visits outside the school premises They will learn practical skills such as identifying clean water studying local plants and animals and visiting local monuments etcInitiatives in MaharashtraHeavy school backpacks are a persistent source of physical stress for children Despite efforts by education authorities to reduce their weight the issue remains Courts have mandated that state governments create policies to limit heavy bags and committees have been formed to tackle the problemMany see the ldquoNo Bags Dayrdquo policy as a promising solution Schools are encouraged to implement innovative strategies that promote healthier learning environments These initiatives can transform traditional education offering engaging handson experiences while alleviating the burden of heavy backpacksArundhati Chavan president of the Parent Teachers Association United Forum highlighted the persistent problem of heavy school bags which cause pain in studentsrsquo lower backs shoulders and hands ldquoThese pains are often misunderstood as growing pains or poor posture We need alternative learning activities like quizzes group discussions and special reading sessions to foster better use of library resources and alleviate the burden of heavy bagsrdquoKalpana Patange Principal of Jamnabai Narsee School shared insights into her schoolrsquos innovative curriculum designed to offer rich learning experiences without the reliance on heavy textbooksldquoProject presentations known as Gyan Manthan are a highlight of each class Other opportunities include art and astronomy workshops leadership camps festival celebrations Model United Nations field trips and a weeklong annual program featuring performing arts and sports We prioritise experiential learning which leads to meaningful growth with some activities also serving as assessment tools Parents are invited to participate and observe their childrenrsquos progress and students particularly enjoy activitybased learningrdquo she saidSharing initiatives taken to reduce school bag weight in his school Hanif Kanjer Director of Rustomjee Cambridge School said ldquoThis academic year starting in June our IGCSE school introduced a bimonthly notecumworkbook for nursery and kindergarten allowing students to use a single book for two months This simplifies parent involvement and reduces school bag weight Following a successful pilot wersquoll expand this next yearrdquoldquoWersquove also added dropoff tubs in the lobby for sports kits For grades three to eight textbooks and notebooks are integrated for example grade eight math books 700800 pages will be split into three parts Additionally two periods are dedicated to design and technology eliminating the need for extra booksrdquo he added