Schoolbags free environment announced for students of grade I-V
Zubair Qureshi
Students of the primary sections (grade I-V) of the Islamabad Model Colleges have got perhaps the biggest relief in the new year i.e. now they will be able to enjoy freedom from heavy schoolbags.
Carrying a schoolbag is quite a labour for a student of the primary class and that too, two times daily, in the morning while going to schools and in the afternoon while returning.
The Federal Directorate of Education as per the directions of the Ministry of Education & Professional Training announced the decision making primary classes schoolbags-free to unburden the students of the school bags.
However, in order to make their relation with books alive, the education ministry has decided to keep one set of books available at schools and another at home.
Addressing a ‘Books Free Bags Initiative’ in Islamabad on Thursday, Parliamentary Secretary for Education Wajiha Qamar said the purpose was to ensure quality education for children.
According to the new policy, teacher of each class will devise a policy and schedule for class tests and the students will prepare according to that policy and the schedule, said she.
Wajiha Qamar said the relief would not be restricted to the Islamabad model colleges, rather it would be expanded to other parts of the country and this will be the first step in providing education according to the international standards.
Additional Secretary Education, Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, DG FDE Dr Ikram Ali Malik, Director Colleges, Prof Aftab Tariq, Director Monitoring Malik Sohail, senior officers and heads of the FDE attended the ceremony.
Additional Secretary Mohyuddin Wani said instead of books there was a need to focus on character-building and morals of the students. We are introducing a technology training programme to train teachers how to cope with the classes in the new ‘Books Free Bags’ initiative.
This will help a great deal in resolving children’s mental and physical problems. Director General (DG) FDE Ikram Ali Malik said there would be two sets of books for each student one at home and one at the school in order to relieve them of daily traveling with heavy bags of books.
In the Prep Classes, students will not get homework for more than two subjects and the homework will be finished within half an hour.
For Class I-III homework will be given for up to three subjects that will not take more than an hour. Similarly for Class IV-V homework will be given up to four subjects and it will not take more than two hours, explained Dr Ikram Malik.
He requested the parents to cooperate in this regard and give their children light weight book-free bags. A bag should not exceed more than 10 per cent of the weight of their children, he said.
