Children are neither weightlifters nor school bags loaded containers, the Madras High Court said today, as it asked the Centre to instruct state governments to reduce weight of satchels of school children and do away with homework for classes I and II.
In its interim order, the court also said use of National Council for Educational Research and Training books be made mandatory.
The state governments were asked to ensure that weight of the satchels shall not be more than 10 per cent of the weight of the child.
It observed that children are neither weightlifters nor school bags loaded containers.
Justice N Kirubakaran, while referring to the government orders (GOs) issued by governments of Telangana and Maharashtra, directed the Centre to direct the state governments and governments of Union Territories to formulate a "Children School Bag Policy" reducing the weight of the satchels in line with the guidelines issued by either state.
Besides, the court directed the Central Board of School Education (CBSE), the regional officer of CBSE and the Association of Management of Private Schools to prescribe and use (NCERT) books alone.
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Justice N Kirubakaran was passing an interim order on a petition from M Purushothaman, an advocate, seeking a direction to CBSE schools to purchase only books published by NCERT and to prescribe syllabus of NCERT.
The judge directed the Centre to instruct the state governments not to prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for classes I & II students and language, EVS and mathematics for classes III to V students as prescribed by NCERT.
He directed the authorities to prohibit CBSE schools from prescribing any homework for classes I and II students.
The judge concurred with the submissions of the petitioner-advocate that the CBSE schools are prescribing homework to children of classes I and II and it was prohibited by NCERT.
With regard to homework, it has been specifically stated in the counter affidavit filed by secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy of Human Resource Development Ministry that "there is no homework upto class II and (homework can be given) two hours a week from class III."
"It is not understandable as to how five year old children could comprehend the concept of computer or understand 'General Knowledge.'
In his interim order, he said, "Similar is the case with the state board schools and in other systems. Young children are taxed with homework and unnecessary subjects."