Bhopal: Child rights body finds school bags bulky

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MPCPCR) inspected some schools in the city and found that the school bags of students weighed more than the prescribed weight.

Member of the commission Brajesh Chauhan visited St Joseph's CoEd School in Arera Colony, Holy Cross School and Mother Teresa School Kolar Road along with traffic police and RTO squad.

The weight of the school bags of the children was found to be 8kg to 10 kg more than the standard limit during the inspection of school bags of students of class VI and class VII at St Joseph's School. Chauhan had taken an electronic weighing machine with him.

Chauhan said a standard weight of a student’s bag of class VI to class VIII should be 5kg to 6 kg. According to school bag policy 2020, the weight should not exceed 5 kg.

School children said that most children come in vans in which 20 children sit together. They also found the buses to be old and window panes broken. On being asked about the helpline number and child rights, the children could not tell them, Chauhan said

The PRO of the school Vasundhara Sharma said “We have nothing to do with buses and private vans. It is not our responsibility. There is no bus at our school.” The bags of children studying at Holy Cross School were found to be 10kg to 12 kg more than the norm.

Children of the school said that 20 children sit in a van. Neither teacher nor children of the school are aware about Child Rights and helpline numbers. The team of the commission informed them about that.

As per commission, during inspection in Mother Teresa School, it was found that there was a cupboard in the class of children, the weight of the school bags was less. There was cleanliness and the number of children in the class was less.