The HRD Ministry has asked all the school which comes under the ambit of the department of education to start following the order with immediate effect.
To ensure healthy physical and mental growth of the children, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on Monday issued a circular asking all the states and Union Territories to ensure that there is no homework for the kids studying in class I and II.
The circular has also mentioned regulation of the teaching of subjects and weight of the school bags.
The Ministry has asked all the school which comes under the ambit of the department of education to start following the order with immediate effect.
The move has come amidst many reports of increased pressure on school going kids these days. Children are getting overburdened with homework. As a result, they were not able to carry out leisure activities.
Now, children will have enough time for outdoor and indoor activities. The move has come as a relief for parents who used to spend hours helping their kids complete the homework.
“Schools should not prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for classes I and II and language, EVS and mathematics for classes III to V students as prescribed by the NCERT,” the order said.
Children should not be asked to bring additional books, extra materials and the weight of a school bag should not exceed the prescribed limit, the order added.
The weight of school bags for students of Classes I and II should not exceed 1.5 kg, while the school bag of students of Class III to V should weigh between 2 kg to 3 kg.
The school bag of students of Classes VI and VII should not be more than 4 kg, while the weight of school bags of Classes VIII and IX students should not be above 4.5 kg. The school bag of a Class X student should not weigh above 5 kg, the order said.
A Noida based clinical psychiatrist, Deepali Batra believes that it was a need of time and the learning with fun which the people have been talking about will not be ensured after the order. “Mostly school kids have to follow three stages – school, tuition and then home works along with extra-curricular activities which make the physical and mental impact.
“It is fact that heavy weight of school bags has an impact but it depends on their physical strength also. There is no any specific disorder from it but it affects mentally and physically. Generally, parents ignore the pain in shoulder and back of kids but this is the beginning of physical disorder that may get serious in future,” Batra said.
A couple of teachers in Delhi-NCR told City Spidey that the concept of no homework to children up to class II is being followed in most of the schools. Teachers were of the views that this is going to unburden kids especially from schools which were giving too many homework.
“We are already following the no homework pattern in my school. I personally believe that play way method is good but parents have to be responsible and make children revise the concepts at home,” said Lalita Mahaldar, teacher who is associated with a renowned school in Delhi.
“I am happy that there will not be homework for the kids studying in classes I and II. The kids are burdened with the homework these days. With this, they don’t get time for leisure activities which is very important for mental development. Many studies have also claimed that kids are getting stressed these days. Now, they will be having enough play time. I appreciate this move from the government of India,” said a parent, Rajesh Kumar whose daughter is studying in class I.
