Rights panel seeks report on school bag weight

The State Human Rights Commission on Wednesday ordered the Secretaries of Education of the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to submit detailed reports on the weights of school bags and the stress faced by school students due to the assignment of excess homework. Balala Hakkula Sangham, an NGO, has filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission in this regard.

The Supreme Court has previously issued guidelines governing the weight of school bags. The state government has also issued orders regulating bag weight based on the age group of students.

Balala Hakkula Sangham in its petition has said that children are being subjected to physical and mental stress. It said that the excessive weight of the school bags is affecting the spinal cords of children, thus posing a threat to their growth. It also says that students are being forced to study for over nine hours per day, over and above which they are assigned homework.

“As a result of this, they are subjected to severe mental stress and are deprived of healthy sleep. This is also leading to psychological defects and physical trauma,” the petition reads.

The Commission admitted the petition and ordered the Secretaries of the two states to conduct inquiries into the matter and submit their reports by October 31.

THE Supreme Court has previously issued guidelines governing the weight of school bags. The State government has also issued orders regulating bag weight based on the age group of students.