NEWS SCAN

The Bombay high court said the implementation shall be done in phased manner so as to avert possible conflict between school management and parents.

The division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Prakash Naik also directed the state authorities not to insist on prohibiting students from carrying water bottles to school as of now. The judges felt that some of the measures, such as mandating schools to provide drinking water to students and lockers to keep books in the school itself, laid down in Government Resolutions issued for reducing weight of school bags could lead to conflict between school management and parents.

Referring to the fact that the state government has not paid grant-in-aid to several schools over number of years, and therefore insistence on part of the authorities on implementing such measures may lead to conflict between school management and parents, especially in aided schools.

Government pleader Poornima Kantharia informed the bench that the government has already put in place mechanism to ensure that the measures to reduce weight of school bags are complied with. She said school inspectors and education officers in the districts have been instructed to visit schools at regular intervals and ensure that the measures are complied with.

The court was hearing public interest litigation by city activist Swati Patil raising concern about the weight of school bags and seeking direction to implement an April 2006 government resolution, which provided for making available lockers for children if possible, a single notebook for joint subjects like algebra and geometry and keeping books for subjects like drawing, work experience, physical education and computers at school.

As carried in Hindustan Times on 29.04.2016