The HRD Ministry is working on a fresh norm for the schools to reduce the burden of bags on students. The Ministry is also in the process of formulating a curriculum for ‘class projects’ for the students so they are not given projects beyond their capacity.
HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said while bulky school bags may soon become a thing of the past, the Ministry proposed curriculum will ensure that Rsprojects' are done comfortably by the wards and not by their guardians.
"I am going to reduce the weight of school bags...Carrying heavy bags is not necessary. It will definitely happen. We are preparing norms for CBSE schools that bundles of books and notebooks do not have to be needlessly carried," Javadekar said.
While the CBSE has directed its schools that students up to Class II should not bring school bags and restricted the number of books carried till class VIII, the HRD ministry is now looking at these aspects to make the norms more effective, broad-based as well as comprehensive.
He also pointed out that it was parents who usually have to pitch in to complete the projects assigned to their wards. Referring to an instance in his family, Javadekar said he once saw his granddaughter working on project-work at home with the help of her mother. When asked what was happening, he was told that without the assistance of adults, the teacher would not mark a 'star' for the assignment.
"...But the real education is where the child learns even if he makes a mistake. The seniors can guide though...The parents too need to be educated," he said.
On the other hand, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has written to the HRD Ministry on the need to curb corporal punishments in schools, urging HRD Minister to direct the schools to follow the national guidelines on the issue. This comes in the wake of media reports last week about a principal of a government school in eastern Uttar Pradesh forcing a group of girl students to run on the playground without their skirts for failing to memorise Sanskrit shlokas.
The guidelines prepared by the apex body for child rights in the country recommend formation of "Special Monitoring Cells" in schools to look into cases of physical punishment or harassment of children and prepare annual audit reports on complaints of physical punishment, harassment and discrimination. As per the Right to Education Act, an act of "physical punishment or mental harassment" inflicted on a child will attract disciplinary action.