Schoolbag to weigh less than 15pc of student’s

PESHAWAR: Schoolbag’s weight will not be more than 15 per cent of the student’s, according to a decision of the education department.

The decision is part of the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Schoolbag Act 2019 drafted by the department.

The proposed law will be placed before the provincial cabinet for approval to be followed by tabling in the provincial assembly.

A Peshawar High Court bench headed by Justice Qaiser Rasheed had directed the education department this summer to legislate on the schoolbag weight before the conclusion of summer vacation.

The proposed law is meant for all educational institutions, including government, private, seminary, autonomous, semi-autonomous and others functioning in the province.

The government will de-recognise the schools found to be violating the law.

Section 7 of the draft law says the principals and teachers of such public sector schools will be dealt with under the relevant rules, while private schools will be fined up to Rs200,000 each.

Section 4(1) of the law says every school shall provide lockers and cupboards of such size in the school up to 10th grade to enable the student to keep books, notebooks and other curricular and co-curricular equipment.

According to the proposed legislation, every principal or headmaster will channelise the scheme of study, re-introduce traditional metal and wooden slate (takhti) for rough work, while every teacher will inform students up to 8th grade in advance about books and notebooks/workbooks to be brought to school on a particular day.

Under Section 5 of the law, every school will launch awareness campaigns, issues guidelines and instructions prescribing dimensions and fabric for school bags for students up to a particular class in the prescribed manner.

The directorate of curricula, directorate of elementary and secondary education, and textbook board will integrate some subject/courses to reduce weight of books, notebooks and workbooks using lighter but high quality papers.