Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The 'bagless school' once a week policy has not been implemented in either government or private schools across the state, despite months since its introduction. In February, the state government introduced the 'bagless school' policy, designating one day a week when students from classes 1 to 12 would not be required to bring their school bags for the 2024-25 academic session. Additionally, the government issued guidelines outlining weight limits for students' school bags based on their respective classes.
However, when Free Press asked parents whose children study in schools affiliated with the MP Board, they reported no change.
Monui Roy, whose daughter is in class 3, said, 'There is no such rule in my daughterís school; no weight limit is set; she carries a heavy bag every day'.
Ayushi Pandey, whose daughter is in class 1, said, 'Some copies of my daughter are submitted to the school, but they still carry bags daily.'
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Teachers have also noted the lack of implementation. Sujata Rajput, a teacher, stated, 'In our school, extracurricular activities take place on Saturdays, like drawing and all, but there's no such thing as not carrying bags for children; they have to carry their bags daily'.
Weight on tiny shoulders
According to the policy, students in classes 1 and 2 should carry bags weighing between 1.6 and 2.2 kg; students in classes 3 to 5 should carry bags weighing between 1.7 and 2.5 kg. While students in classes 6 and 7 should carry bags weighing between 2 and 3 kg, students in class 8 should carry bags weighing between 2.5 and 4 kg. For students in classes 9 and 10, the weight limit is set between 2.5 and 4.5 kg. The weight of school bags for students in classes 11 and 12 will be decided by the school management committee based on the students chosen streams.
