<p>The government has decided to have ‘No-bag Day’ at state board schools once a month instead of once a week as was decided earlier. </p>.<p>The Samagra Sikshana Karnataka (SSK) has issued a circular asking all schools to observe one Saturday every month as ‘No-bag Day,’ when students will be encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities.</p>.<p>For this purpose, the SSK has even released activity books for teachers and students.</p>.<p>“The activity books on 10 subjects can be downloaded from the DSERT website,” reads the circular.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>‘Health issues’</strong></p>.<p>Considering the health issues among kids because of the heavy bag weight, the department of public instruction had decided to make every Saturday ‘no-bag day’.</p>.<p>But it was not effective and a majority of schools did not follow it.</p>.<p>It can be recalled that a committee, headed by academician V P Niranjanaradhya, had submitted its report in May 2016 recommending ‘No-bag Day’ and also fixing bag weight according to kids’ age and grade.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>‘Setting example’</strong></p>.<p>Even Section 29 of the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act says that the weight of schoolbags must be reduced to ease the burden on students.</p>.<p>Little Flower Public School, in Banashankari, Bengaluru, had set an example by following ‘No-bag Day’ since 2012.</p>.<p>Following a survey which revealed several health issues among kids, especially back pain because of carrying heavy bags, the school made every Wednesday a ‘No-bag Day’.</p>
<p>The government has decided to have ‘No-bag Day’ at state board schools once a month instead of once a week as was decided earlier. </p>.<p>The Samagra Sikshana Karnataka (SSK) has issued a circular asking all schools to observe one Saturday every month as ‘No-bag Day,’ when students will be encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities.</p>.<p>For this purpose, the SSK has even released activity books for teachers and students.</p>.<p>“The activity books on 10 subjects can be downloaded from the DSERT website,” reads the circular.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>‘Health issues’</strong></p>.<p>Considering the health issues among kids because of the heavy bag weight, the department of public instruction had decided to make every Saturday ‘no-bag day’.</p>.<p>But it was not effective and a majority of schools did not follow it.</p>.<p>It can be recalled that a committee, headed by academician V P Niranjanaradhya, had submitted its report in May 2016 recommending ‘No-bag Day’ and also fixing bag weight according to kids’ age and grade.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>‘Setting example’</strong></p>.<p>Even Section 29 of the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act says that the weight of schoolbags must be reduced to ease the burden on students.</p>.<p>Little Flower Public School, in Banashankari, Bengaluru, had set an example by following ‘No-bag Day’ since 2012.</p>.<p>Following a survey which revealed several health issues among kids, especially back pain because of carrying heavy bags, the school made every Wednesday a ‘No-bag Day’.</p>