Government to reduce weight of schoolbags with less homework

BENGALURU: Government and private schools across the state will be ordered to give less homework to students to relieve them of physical and mental pressure.A directive to this effect will be issued shortly by the department of public instruction (DPI) in consultation with the government. However, it is not clear if it will be applicable to students up to Class 2 or Class 10 and what is the ideal quantum of homework to be given on a daily basis. The idea has been conceived to prevent students from carrying back-breaking schoolbags.The issues of homework and bag weight came to the fore after the Madras High Court, while hearing a petition, observed that students were not weightlifters. Earlier, Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar had stated that CBSE will do away with homework for class 1 and 2 students. The Centre is expected to issue an advisory to all the states in this regard. MT Reju, commissioner, Karnataka DPI, told TOI: “The Centre’s directive will be a general one, which intends to reduce the burden of schoolbag on students. One of the ways suggested is to reduce homework so that students don’t need to carry all the notebooks every day. But we can’t say there should be no homework.”Primary and secondary education minister N Mahesh said he is awaiting the Centre’s advisory. “We all know it is the parent who is burdened to finish the homework and force the children to sit with books through the evening. Children should not be pressured to study. School should be a place for learning. Instead of homework, learning activities should be held in school so that children enjoy their free time at home and do something creative,” he said. He added that he wanted to emulate the education systems of developed countries. Meanwhile, there was confusion on the issue following media reports that the state government is banning homework for all students. The move did not go down well with the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS). “There are only some schools that burden children with a lot of homework, which is all about rote learning. The government should train teachers and discuss issues with such schools, instead of coming up with half-baked decisions that will lead to unbalanced brain development in children. Studies have suggested that a Class 1 student’s memory retention capacity is only about 15 to 20 minutes, while that of a ninth grader is about an hour. Homework must be methodological, so that students are able to remember what they learn in class. Instead of such a high-handed attitude towards nurturing children, the government should come follow a methodological approach for homework in all schools,” said KAMS general secretary D Shashi Kumar.