The Maharashtra government on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court that principals and active trustees of schools would be responsible for implementing recommendations of an expert committee on reducing weight of school bags and other issues concerning
students.Government pleader Anjali Helekar told the division bench of Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite-Dere that a circular has been issued in this regard and trustees and principals have been made responsible for implementing the recommendations of the expert committee. The circular was issued on November 5 and all the schools had been asked to implement the recommendations by November 30.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by activist Swati Patil on rising weight of school bags and its adverse impact on the health of children. The government had appointed a committee to study the matter and the panel submitted its report with several
recommendations. The report said that students are lugging school bags 20-30 per cent heavier than what children of their age should carry. Because of this, around 60 per cent students below the age of 10 suffer from orthopaedic as well as stress-induced ailments.
The committee recommended that one book should be used for three months for each subject and using lightweight paper and no hardcover can reduce a textbook’s weight. It also suggested use of e-classroom, audio-visual technology and other modern means for teaching.
Though the government had, on July 21, issued a circular on implementation of these recommendations made by the expert committee, it has been silent on who would be responsible for implementation of these suggestions.
