Uttarakhand government introduces school bag weight limit to improve education quality

The Uttarakhand Government taking a step towards wellbeing in education has taken a decision to introduce school bag weight limit. The decision comes as an initiative to improve quality education.
standardise school bag weights for Classes 1-12, aiming to reduce the physical and mental burden on students.

Despite previous attempts, education standards have not seen significant improvement, leading strategists to propose this new measure.

In alignment with the guidelines issued by the Government of India, the state education ministry has taken a decision to regulate the weight of school bags to alleviate the load on students. So the students can focus more on learning. The directive involves setting weight limits for school bags in both government and private institutions.

The following is the weight limits set for school bags according to different classes;

Classes 1-2: 1.5 kg

Classes 3-5: 2-3 kg

Classes 6-7: 4 kg

Classes 8-9: 4.5 kg

Class 10: 5 kg

Irrespective of these new regulations, yet the students in primary classes are carrying heavy bags, which weigh up to 10-12 kg. The education department has instructed all districts to comply with the new weight limits, and if these limits are not adhered to, instructions will be reissued and strictly enforced

The Deputy Director of Education, Kamla Badwal, said "Instructions were issued to all districts regarding reducing school bag weights. If the weights aren't reduced, instructions will be reissued and strictly enforced."

While the Education Secretary, Ravinath Raman, had communicated with the Director-General of Education on August 20,2024, emphasising the need to lighten school bags.

Virendra Singh Rawat, retired Additional Director of Primary Education and a proponent of significant reforms, highlighted concerns about the current state of education. He "I firmly believe we're losing sight of the fundamental principles of education in our rush for technological advancement and modernisation. We've sidelined these core values, and it's time to reinstate them."

The efforts are to provide quality education in consideration of student's well-being.