Hyderabad: No school bag rule baffles parents

Hyderabad: The CBSE states that there shall be no bag and no homework for students in Classes I and II but its rules makes carrying three books for these children. Puzzled parents are asking how they they can send the child to school with three or more books but without a bag.  School principals say it would be difficult for the children to carry books and stationery items without a bag. Instead, they suggest, students should be allowed school bags but the weight should be strictly restricted.

Hyderabad Public School Principal Narsimha Reddy, said, “No bag and no homework is a catchy caption but it would be difficult for children to carry books and stationery items without a bag. Instead, the weight could be strictly restricted to 1 to 2 kg. Students may have to even carry a pair of sports uniform sometimes.”

He said the CBSE could instruct schools to provide storage space for the children so that they would need to carry one or two important books home. “The diary is an important means of personalised communication that has to be carried every day. I think home work can be reduced to a minimum but doing away with the bag is inconvenient for children,” Mr Reddy said.

However, schools may be in violation of the rule. Mr N. Narayana, president, Telangana Parents Association, noted, “Who will implement the no bag, no homework rule? The CBSE has given circulars in 2004, 2007 and again on August 13 this year. But the school bag load is increasing and home work continues.”

He said school managements were forcing parents to purchase books as the CBSE had stated that three books were mandatory. Mr Victor Das, parent of a school-going child in the city, said, “The teacher should engage the children with classwork. Once they come out of school they should have a chance to go out and play, learn music, dance or drawing.” He said the teacher should send the classwork notebook to parents for acknowledgement that the child has done the work at school.