Children are the future of the nation. Their good health and stress free mind will contribute to nation building. Therefore, it needs to be made mandatory that every school irrespective of its management either government or private ensures the implementation of School Bag policy and text books prescribed by JKBOSE for the betterment of our children.

The NCF 2005 emphasized on the reduction of curriculum load by suggesting a principle of connecting a child’s day-to- day experiences with the school knowledge. As the school provides children with learning opportunities linking knowledge with their own experiences, it will help children to engage with familiar and known things. It will eventually lead them to understand unfamiliar and unknown concepts with motivation and interest.
It has been observed that the school bag is a common cause of backache in school going children. A heavy bag may cause a child to compensate by leaning forward and this canstrain muscles in his neck, shoulders and back. The issue of body posture and backache in children and grown ups has become a current issue in our country and abroad. It is observed that the school curriculum which includes subjects offered at different stages, home work etc has strong correlation with the weight of school bag. For example, more number of subjects offered in schools imply more text books need to be carried, and home work on daily basis implies additional weight of home work note books in the bag.
As recommended by School Bag Policy, bag less schooling is recommended for Pre-Primary Classes, for classes 1st and above 10 percent of body weight which averages to 1.5 KG for 1st and 2nd , 2 KG for 3rd and 5th , 3 KG for 6th to 7th , 4 KG for 8th to 10th and 4.5 KG for 11th and 12th classes. So far as the number of text books is concerned, no text book for Pre-Primary Classes, for classes 1st and 2nd , 3 text books viz English, Urdu and Mathematics is recommended. For classes 3rd and 4th 4 subjects that include Environmental Science in addition to English, Urdu and Mathematics andSix subjects for classes 6th to 10th is recommended. However Computer Studies, Moral Education and General Knowledge need to be infused across subject areas and other activities in the school with out additional text books. Moreover a single note book for classes 1stand 2nd , 2 note books up to 5th but at a time only one note book shall be allowed in a child’s bag and the second one to be kept in school for classwork. Files and thin exercise books should be preferred to thick ones. Importantly sharing of text books among peers may be promoted so that children need not carry all the text books everyday.
It is recommended that total study time expected from students in both face to face and self study or home work needs to be accounted for while planning the syllabus or course of study for students, especially as they are going to higher classes. For Primary, no home work up to class 2nd and maximum of 2 hours a week from 3rd to 5th. For Upper Primary classes up to 8th, a maximum of 1 hour a day is recommended. For secondary and Hr. Secondary classes, a maximum of 2 hours a day is recommended. NEP 2020 states that every student be provided opportunities for a fun course, during 6 to 8 grades, that gives a survey and hands- on – experience of important vocational crafts work, gardening, pottery making etc are decided by states and local communities and as mapped by local skilling needs. All students to participate in a 10- day bag less period some times during grades 6 to 8 where they intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists etc. Similar internship opportunities to learn vocational subjects be made available to students through out grades 6 to 12. Bag less days be encouraged through out the years for vocational crafts. Children will be given periodic exposure to activities outside school through visits to places/ monuments of historical, cultural and tourist importance, meeting local artists and crafts men and visit higher educational institutions in their locality.
Recently Department of Education came up with a new order to adopt uniform text books and curriculum in all the educational institutions, be it Government or Private. As per the order each and every institution is supposed to implement the order in letter and spirit and violations of the order will be seriously dealt with. The decision was hailed by the society but at the same time received adverse reaction from a few corners of the society as well. However the fact of the matter is that it is a welcome and revolutionary step that was desperately needed for ending the discrimination that had crept into the society as regards the different publications adopted by private and unaided schools in the UT. The adoption of uniform text bools and curriculum will definitely produce positive results and this will pave way to an even competition among the children. Meanwhile a wrong notion has been developed in the society by some people that these text books are below standard and may prove detrimental to the future of the children. Literally these text books are developed by team of experts after thorough research keeping all the factors in mind and are reviewed and updated from time to time. All this will end the high handedness of certain school authorities and the illegal trade in the name of quality education will be buried once for all. Moreover the text books are so designed to make the teaching learning process interactive and lively which result in conceptual learning by the children saying good bye to rote learning.

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