NMMC efforts on to lighten school bags

FROM 2016-17 Maths and science will be taught every day, social studies and languages on alternate days

NAVI MUMBAI: The education department of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is mulling different options to reduce the weight of schoolbags from academic year 2016-17. As one of the measures, the department has planned to re-structure the timetable of civic schools.

In July 2015, the state education department had issued a government resolution ( GR), which specified the maximum prescribed weight of a schoolbag should not exceed 10% of the child’s body weight.

In accordance with the GR, the civic body will reschedule the timetable of civic schools in such a way that the children have to carry the least number of books every day.

“We have been mulling various proposals to effectively reduce the weight of schoolbags. We have decided that instead of having all the lectures every day, we will have alternate lectures of the subjects,” said Amrish Patnigire, deputy municipal commissioner of NMMC’s education department.

“Seven subjects are taught to students every day,” said Patnigire, adding, “We plan to reduce this to four or five subjects a day.”

Patnigire said, “We will shuffle the social studies and language subjects on alternate days, but will teach Maths and Science every day as children require more time to practice and understand these two subjects.”

Besides this, the department has already started implementing digital learning in civic schools. Around 50 teachers were trained to use simple digital learning methods such as connecting smartphones to a projector, among other audiovisual mediums, to explain various concepts to students.

“Teachers f rom 20 civic schools have started using these methods to teach some subjects. Explaining concepts through diagrams and presentations makes learning more interesting for students. Slowly, it will be initiated in all the schools from this academic year onwards,” said the official.

Another initiative that the department has taken is to provide all civic schools with racks in classrooms for children to keep their extra books or materials.

Officials also plan to introduce tablets for students, but have been unable to do so owing to lack of funds. “A few organisations have expressed their interest in being a part of this project. But it is still in the initial stage,” said the official.