Lok Sabha Question No. 1348 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-24
Subject: Heavy School Bags
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SANGANNA AMARAPPA KARADI, BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1348 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2017

## Heavy School Bags

## 1348. SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA: SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT will be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  reduce  the  book  load  carried  by  the children to the schools and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has offered suggestion to the CBSE and NCERT etc. that text books be printed in at least two volumes so that the children carry less heavy books to the school and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has any proposal to issue tablets for the use of the children in the classes in lieu of the books and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has issued any directive that the Schools should provide RO system  and  be  allowed  to  wear  sports  shoes  so  that  the  need  to  carry  water  bottle  and schools shoes are dispensed with;

(e) whether the Government is planning or making any guidelines to use 'e-schooling' in all the 'Kendriya Vidyalaya' to avoid the school bags for the small/junior wings and if so, the details thereof;

(f)  whether  any  directions/guidelines  has  been  issued  to  the  Kendriya  Vidyalayas  to  get update this kind of technology; and

(g) if so, the timelimit and expenditure likely to come to set up these kind of e-schooling classes?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a) to (c) The Government have received a number of suggestions to reduce the weight of  school  bags,  including  dividing  the  books  into  two  volumes.  Several  initiatives  have already been taken in this regard and the Ministry is coordinating the efforts being made by different organizations/institutions in this regard. Some of the initiatives taken in this regard are as under:

i. The National Council of Educational Research and Training  (NCERT)  has recommended only  two  books  (Language  and  Mathematics)  for  classes  I  &  II  and  three books for Classes III to V (Language, Environmental Studies and Mathematics). NCERT has also made available all their textbooks for free access through the web (epathshala.nic.in) and mobile devices.

ii. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed schools affiliated to it to ensure that students do not carry school bags till Class II. In its latest circular dated 12 th September,  2016,  it  has  advised  all  its  affiliated  schools  to  take  all  possible  measures  to keep the weight of school bag under control.

iii. Kendriya  Vidyalaya  Sangathan  has  taken  a  number  of  steps  to  promote  digital learning  in  its  Vidyalayas.  To  begin  with,  all  the  students  of  class  VIII  in  25  Kendriya Vidyalayas  (One  KV  from  each  region)  shall  be  provided  with  good  quality  Tablets  on PILOT BASIS. The students will use these Tablets as also their teachers for Mathematics and Science for enhancing their core skills in these subjects.

iv. Under  the  Information  and  Communications  Technology  (ICT)  component  of Integrated Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Programme, a total of 14704 tablets  for  schools  have  been  approved  for  administrative/teaching  purposes  in  various States/UTs in 2017-18.

Besides,  several  State  Governments  have  also  taken  commendable  steps  in  this direction. For example:

-  Maharashtra  has  started  Digital  schools  and  more  than  50,000  schools  are  being upgraded to digital education. It has compiled quality digital material online through a user-friendly mobile app MITRA.
-  Tamil Nadu which has introduced trimester system in all schools for classes I to VIII to reduce the load of books. This system ensures that the children need to carry only the  books  needed  for  the  relevant  term,  which  will  substantially  reduce  the  book load  of  children  physically  and  also  remove  the  psychological  fear  in  the  young minds.

(d) The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 specifies that the all-weather school buildings should have safe and adequate drinking water facility to all children. All States and Union Territories (UTs) have been directed to ensure that the provisions  of  the  RTE  Act,  2009  regarding  drinking  water  is  complied  with  and  that  all schools including those under the non-Government sector have the provision for safe and adequate drinking water facility for all children.  The  State  Governments  and  UT Administrations  are  supported  for  creation  and  augmentation  of  infrastructural  facilities including construction of drinking water facilities in government primary & upper primary schools under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Scheme. State Governments, UT Administrations and local authorities are free to install Reverse Osmosis (RO) machines in schools based on requirement, to ensure provision of safe and pure drinking water to the children. Various infrastructure facilities including drinking water facilities in existing and new  government  secondary  schools  are  also  provided  under  the  Rashtriya  Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Scheme. Under the Scheme, drinking water facilities have been approved for 24546 secondary schools till date. The CBSE has also issued directions to schools affiliated to it to ensure adequate supply of potable and safe drinking water for everybody and counsel students not to bring the heavy water bottle to schools. The students of these schools need not carry extra pair of sportswear throughout the day and are allowed to wear it for the entire day. Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and the majority of  schools  are  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State  Governments,  it  is  for  the  respective State/Union  Territory  Government  to  take  appropriate  measures  to  reduce  the  weight  of schools bags of the children studying in their schools. The  Government  has  not  issued  any  direction  or  guidelines  regarding

(e) to (g) 'e-schooling' in all the Kendriya  Vidyalayas.

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