No bag day: On Saturdays, don't take bag to school

To reduce pressure on schoolchildren, Saturdays will be 'No Bag Day' in all government schools.
From now on, the day will be reserved for parent-teacher meets, games, happiness therapy and personality development, said CM Ashok Gehlot in his Budget speech.
Gehlot said in the assembly, "For the physical, mental and intellectual development of students, they will be given a day off from studies.On this day, extra-curricular activities will be held for students."
Reducing study-related stress on students has been a long-standing demand. The government had recently introduced integrated books in government schools to reduce weight of school bags.
Vipin Sharma, a government teacher at Sanganer School, said the 'No Bag Day' would help increase interaction between teachers and students. "This is a good initiative. On weekends, students and teachers can relax and think about the development of students outside academic curriculum," said Vipin.
The move has come only for government schools, but the private schools have also started giving students a certain portion of their day free from academic pressure.
Lata Rawat, principal of Cambridge Court World School said that all the students in their school have 40% of their day free from the studies.
"We haven't decided a particular day in the week but we set the time-table in a way that students get a few periods free. In those periods, they can opt for any extra-curricular activity including sports, dance, and fine arts or read books in the library. It is important for the students' overall development," said Rawat.
MPS International School has recently introduced 'five days a week' plan for students till Class II. Archana Singh, principal of the school, said that the weekend will give students and teachers time to work on themselves. "For higher classes, we are in the process to start classes where they do not have to worry about the studies. Skill development classes are our prime focus," said Singh.