Telangana issues school-bag weight guidelines

The school-bag load of children in Telangana is expected to be lightened after the government issued guidelines in this regard for schools affiliated to the state board.

The government order clearly prescribes the maximum weight that students of a particular class should carry. The weight of the bag for students of classes 1 and 2 should not be more than 1.5 kg. It should not exceed 3 kg for classes 3 to 5 and 4 kg for classes 6 and 7. Similarly, the school bag should not weigh more than 4.5 kg for classes 8 and 9 and more than 5 kg for class 10 students. These limits cover the weight of notebooks, textbooks and the school-bag itself.

The Department of School Education (DSE) in the Government of Telangana has directed schools to inform students in advance about the notebooks and textbooks they should bring to school on a particular day. It has also told schools to educate parents and students about which school bags to use.

During a recent survey, the weight of school bags was found to range between 6-12 kg for primary school students and 12-17 kg for high school students in the state.