In what should be a relief to students and their parents, the Director of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) announced today that “bagless days” will be incorporated into state schools.
Swapnil Tembe took to the official Facebook channel of the department in a live broadcast to reveal the idea, which is being implemented in a bid to introduce flexibility and foster diverse learning experiences.
“For 10 days, students will participate in activities without the burden of carrying bags. These bagless days will feature a variety of engaging activities, adding a dynamic dimension to the traditional academic structure,” Tembe said.
On the issue of the forthcoming school calendar for the year 2024, the DSEL Director said that the move aims to establish uniformity in school timings, addressing the variations that existed among different schools in the region.
Tembe also emphasised that while the detailed academic calendar would be developed by the Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT) later, the current release focused on key information such as the session’s start and end dates, as well as essential details about holidays.
One aspect highlighted by Tembe was the adherence to the Right to Education (RTE) Act. He mentioned that, as per RTE regulations, there should be a minimum of 200 working days for Classes 1 to 5, with at least 800 instructional hours.
For upper primary schools, the requirement is 220 days and 1,000 instructional hours. Tembe reiterated the importance of following these guidelines, not only for lower primary and upper primary but for all schools.
