NEW DELHI: In order to check the growing unwanted business in the name of academic books in the primary and secondary schools, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a notification recommending good practices to the school teachers and the principals.
The recommendations were aimed at decreasing the bag weight of kids, apart from promoting healthy educational practices. Accordingly, the board has asked teachers to discourage students from carrying heavy reference books or any such material to schools and to ensure that they carry the subject books according to the time table.
The Board directed the schools to concentrate more on extra-curricular activities to encourage the hidden talents and also advised to use ICT-supported learning for all the main subjects in all classes, as far as possible.
Other recommendations by the CBSE board are as follows:-
- Schools must make sure that they do not over burden students with ‘home works’. An academic-coordinator for each class room is recommended to monitor this.
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Schools have also been asked to explore the possibility of block scheduling of subject classes in the class time table.
- Co-curricular activities are must and should be conducted every day. The time table must be prepared accordingly. This is to ensure the balance of bag weight through out the academic year.
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School heads should counsel parents and teachers about developmental issues caused to children carrying heavy bags to school, according to it.
- CBSE clarified that the number of textbooks will soon be reduced based on the latest prescribed norms particularly at the primary and upper primary levels. The board has also recommended to not to cover books with non-biodegradable plastic sheet..
- Another recommendation is that the schools may continue the practice of maintaining and keeping the books of students in the classrooms till Class II.