Even as the Centre's Department of School Education and Literacy (MHRD) has asked other states to emulate Maharashtra and Telangana's policy in the matter of schoolbags, an activist says the state's purported success is just an eye-wash.
As early as 2015, the Maharashtra State Education Department had set the guidelines for parents and schools in the matter. However, activist Swati Patil has filed a PIL on the issue in Bombay High Court, saying Maharashtra is taking credit for a move that has failed in implementation.
"Last year, the government issued instructions to all education officers to inspect the bags of students across the state and send the report to a director of school education on 15th of every month. However, this has not been properly done," says Patil, who is the president of Lok Jagruti Samajik Sanstha. However, only 10 per cent of all state school were inspected, says Patil, and new textbooks for certain standards are heavier than their predecessors.
However, the state believes it deserves a pat on its back for being a pioneer in the weight-loss initiative. "The department did give instructions to education officers to conduct surprise checks in schools," says Suvarna Kharat, deputy secretary of the School Education Department, "It has been observed that many schools have opted for different methods to reduce the weight. (Because of the success) MHRD has presented our state's guidelines in Madras court and asked other states to follow our guidelines."
Patil retorts that as per an RTI, only 10 per cent of all schools in the state were inspected to determine weight of schoolbags. The reports were also vague. She says that this year, the state education department has changed Class 6 textbooks. And the weight of the new books contradict government rules. In 2015, the Class 6 textbooks weighed between 900 gm to one kilo and the new textbooks weigh 1,950 gm.
Furthermore, the Bombay High Court, in October, directed Maharashtra to respond to Patil's allegations. As per the state's policy, school bags should not exceed 10% of the child's weight.
Recently the MHRD has issued guidelines to the education secretaries of all the States and Union Territories to formulate the Children School Bag Policy, reducing the weight of the school bags in the line of guidelines issued by either State of Telangana or State of Maharashtra.
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