All You Need to Know About the School Bag Policy 2020

School bags are integral to everyone's school life experience. Long after we move out of schools, the schoolbags still linger in our memories and make us feel nostalgic. No matter if you had a plain schoolbag or an elaborate one, the times spent at school with the bags must have acquired a special corner of your memories.

However, conce s regarding the weight of school bags have almost always kept on doing the rounds. After all, the learners' energy should be invested in the hunt for knowledge instead of carrying textbooks and copies. And now, with the School Bag Policy 2020 announced by the Government of India, children will no longer be required to carry heavy bags to school.

At school in greater noida, we have always believed that children should enjoy every moment of their education. We hence wholeheartedly welcome the policy and would like to share some important points outlined in the policy that we believe parents should be aware of. The policy has outlined certain aspects on how to choose the right school bags for their kids so that they can carry their stuff comfortably.

• Children will not be allowed to carry trolley bags to schools as these weigh more than other schoolbags.
• The bags of the kids must have broad padded shoulder straps capable of distributing the weight evenly
• Schoolbags must be made of lightweight fabric and material so that the weight of the bags remain less

At JP International School, ranked among the Top CBSE School in Greater Noida, we understand that even carrying the lunch boxes and water bottles can be a source of additional weight for the school bags. This is why we have a well-built cafeteria within the school premises where nutritious food is available for kids of all ages. This helps to reduce the weight of school bags considerably. Also, we have facilities for pure drinking water at our school, which diminishes the requirement forthe children to carry their water bottles that otherwise add considerably to the schoolbag's weight.

Weight capping

The policy has further mentioned that the schoolbags' maximum weight can be 10% of the child's body weight. Taking the varying range of body weight of children belonging to different age groups into consideration, the policy has provided a list of schoolbag weight limits for children of different grades.

Introduction of lockers in school

The policy has also stated that the schools must arrange for lockers where the children can keep the essentials. With individual lockers available in school, the children would no longer be required to carry their stuff to school each day. Hence, the bags will automatically weigh less than before. The good thing is that parents will not have to remind the children everyday about taking everything in their bags according to the timetable. Most of the essentials will be there in the school locker.

Bag-less school days

The schoolbag policy has also provided for a very new concept called bag-less school days. These are the days when your kids would not be required to carry the school bag at all. The government has already suggested incorporating regular vocational training programs for grade 6-12 children in NEP 2020 to hone their skills in several domains that offerthem alte ative career opportunities. In line with that, the bag-less school days would see the children visiting a nearby carpenter shed, gardener's workshop or other such places to work as an intern. This will help children understand that no work is smalland requires equal amounts of hard work and perseverance to succeed.

We, at JPInte ational School, recognized as one of the top ten school in greater noida, unequivocally welcome the progressive changes put forward by this policy. And we are also gearing up to make the school infrastructure at par with the suggestions laid by this policy.