Upendra Kushwala, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, told the Lok Sabha yesterday that CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) has administered CBSE-affiliated schools to cease the practice of carrying school bags for students till class 2. The schools have also been directed to reduce the number of books to be prescribed for students of classes 1 to 8.
The Minister also stated in a written answer to a question that both CBSE and NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) have adopted several measures to reduce the extensive curriculum and also the weight of school bags.
Statements Made
Mr. Kushwala said that the Central Board has advised its schools in its latest circular (12th Sep, 2016) to take measures and make sure that the weight of students’ school bags is under control and not too heavy.
He announced that no textbook for early childhood education has been recommended by NCERT; for classes 1 and 2, only two books have been recommended while students from classes 3 to 5 will get three books.
He stated that a platform has been launched by the Government for the stakeholders collaborating with NCERT for showcasing and distribution of resources digital and digitizable. He added that all respective textbooks have been made available by NCERT and material for teaching and learning will be available on NCERT’s website for free.