Despite Telangana government order, schoolbags heavy complains parents

Hyderabad: In a huge relief to school children in the Telangana state, the government issued strict guidelines to reduce the weight of schoolbags for children in the year 2017. However, parents from the city still complain of heavy school bags their children carry to their school and about homework given to them. 

According to the order issued by the TS government, the maximum weight of a school bag with textbooks and notebooks should not exceed 1.5 kg for Class 1 and II; 2-3 kg for Classes III to V; 4 kg for Classes VI and VII; 4.50 kg for Classes VIII and IX and 5 kg for Class X students. 

The order also said the heavy load was caused by the fact that the children bring textbooks, guides, homework notebooks, rough work notebooks etc. to the classroom every day. Despite the orders issued by the state government, parents say that their children’s bags weigh minimum 9kg for Class-V, minimum 6kg to 9kg for Class-III to Class-V in different schools. 

One of the parents, Mrs M. Namratha, said “Parents are not allowed inside the school campus and the school bags are too heavy. My daughter said that she is asked to get all the books irrespective of class work, homework and text books. Also, I am told that they don’t have drawers to keep their school bags, not even desks, due to which they keep their schools bags on their lap or back’’. 

Elangovan Israel, a parent, said “Most of the children and parents are facing the issue of excess homework. Students of class IV and class V are getting excess amount of homework. Many parents, in last few days, have shared the same issues like heavy school bags students need to carry all by themselves’’. 

Mr Hridesh Gupta, Member- Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) said “Many schools are asking kids to carry daily all subjects books and notebooks. Now imagine, each kid has minimum 4-5 subjects (English, Maths, Science, GK, Language) and activities books. So the total is 10-12 books, due to which the total weight comes around 6-8 kg, excluding stationary box, lunch box and water bottles and if we include everything it becomes 10-12kgs for grades 2-3.”. 

He adds, ‘’I fail to understand why schools are asking kids to carry all the books daily? Why can't they keep the books in the school and send them only on weekends. That way they don't have to carry so much weight on a daily basis. I feel very bad when I see my small kids carrying such huge bags. In the previous school they we're carrying only an almanac and few note books. Even after the timetable adjustment the number doesn't go down much; they can hardly reduce one or twobooks. School should make sure that they advise kids to carry only notebooks and keep books at school or at home. It will help everyone”. Mr Ramu J. Rao, a parent from Secunderabad said “Students have to walk with such heavy bags for around 100m and they have to carry it up two floors. If their class is in new building they have to go more than 200m. They have to carry the lunch bag also. At least the school authorities should allow parents to carry school bags to the classrooms’’. 

Mr Srinivas Reddy, president-Telangana recognised schools management associations (TRSMA) said “We requested the students and their parents to carry their books as per the time table to avoid a heavy load of school bags, soon after the state government issued the GO regarding school bags. As holidays are over, children will carry all the books to schools now and we will submit all the books to the school itself. This year also we have requested the government to print the books term wise to avoid the a heavy load on children and from this year onwards we will strictly implement the GO’’.