Is your Kid's school bag to heavy , even for you ?

Hi Aruna,

Good topic. Do you have any suggestions or pointers on what can be done.

I feel the change has to happen at different levels -

1) our education system (as in how the exams are conduted - semester exam or full term exam, splitting up of books  based on the portions that will be covered in a specific term. These are anyway out of our hand.  

2) the changes that can be done by the schools like sending homework in worksheets instead of notebooks, providing cubby for storage, Changing the teaching methodology where in the children don't need to carry the books everyday. These things can be discussed with school administration

3) the changes that we as parents can do to make it better. like

a) splitting the books based on the term and binding them separately to reduce the weight of the books that have to be carried everyday

 b) Instead of using hard bound notebooks, paper back note books can be used. if you are worried about the dog eared books, then use plastic sheets to cover the notebooks.

 c) Using 80 pages or lesser pages notebooks instead of a quire notebook

d) worst case - using 2 sets of books one for school and one for home provided the school provides the cubby for storage.. (Wish the schools encouraged children to refer more books from the library instead of following the gradewise books word by word)

e) another worst case - Using school bags with trolley

Anymore ideas, please add..

I too would like to add some ....

a) School timetable can be made such that of the 7-8 subjects the children have to study, each day 2-3 subjects can be taught ( having more than one period for each ), and P.T, arts & craft, drawing periods can taken be spread out through the week. 

This can very easily be done at school level without any change in syllabus or text book format.

b) In stead of bound form , textbooks can be printed in file form along with ruled / blank pages for class work and homework for each chapter . So only pages pertaining to that particular period need to be taken. Each subject taken together would make only a very thin file. 

All of us parents , teachers ..... can come up with very good and practical ideas, but until we take it up with the administration and ensure something is done about it , not much use is it :( ?

PTA meeting in school is tomorrow, I intend to take this up with the principal, shall keep you posted on what happens ..........

One more:  Instead of notebooks, children can be asked to bring a pad/file and plain loose sheets, children can do their work in the sheets and can file it in the subjectwise files kept at home, once in a while, the subjectwise files can be taken to school for correction.

 In this age of high Tech , why cant children allowed to carry all there text books loaded in the Tablet. It is so convenient to read from a Tab and also extremely light weight.

Another option can be ( what about publishers making money out of selling bulky textbooks ? )

Schools can supply the course material.

Files can be maintained for each subject-  for course covered  to be kept at home or school.

And one file ( all subjects included ) to be taken daily to school for the chapters being taught. 

Each file would contain the chapter wise, printed course material, the home work and class work done, and class tests taken.

Only the file with present material being taught needs to taken to school.

With 6 -7 subjects daily, this would amount to just one file with maximum 100 pages.

Publishers could help by selling books in this format.