MUMBAI, May 14: Educationists are making light of state government's attempt to reduce the load of school children's bags. After weighing the administration's wight formulae, they have reached the conclusion that the move is impractical.

``The state is only fooling people by making grand statements like limiting the weight of school bags to a maximum of three kilograms. When they could not implement the ban on interviews for pre-primary admissions, how can they monitor the bag of every school kid in Mahahrashtra,'' said the founder of Forum for Fairness in Education (FFFIE), Bhagwanji Rayani.

Calling the state administration a `Circular Raj', Rayani added that even the Anti-Capitation Act of 1987 has remained just another exercise in paperwork. ``Like the earlier Ram Joshi Committee report, this is another half-hearted attempt made by the state in the name of education.''

Principal of Bansidhar Aggarwal School & Junior College, Ramakant Pandey, also expressed similar views. ``This revolutionary concept to making school bags lighter is just a page taken out of the Yashpal Committee Report. I think the government should be more clear in its objectives.''

Pandey, who is also the former president of Bombay Headmasters Association, added that the idea of introducing slates instead of notebooks in lower classes is also a non-starter keeping in mind the modern, complicated school syllabus.

Parents, however, have heaved a sigh of relief. ``At least a step has been taken in the right direction. We all welcome the move, since over 50 per cent of mothers have to carry the school bags for their kids,'' said a child specialist and mother of two school-going children, Sangita D'Silva. She also, however is worried about the monitoring part.

The Director of St John's School in Goregaon, Dilip Mirchandani, though has a solution. ``Teachers and principals can check the weight of bags. Students can also be encouraged to carry smaller bags with only the essential books,'' he said.

Advisor to the ICSE-run Learners' Academy in Bandra, R K Khariwalla said that in her school students use thin notebooks. ``As per the ICSE system of environmental Studies Approach to Leasning (SAL) we have done away with the subjects of history and geography from standards 1 to 4,'' she added.

However, Khariwalla admitted that school bags are bulky and felt that the responsibility of implementing the state government's policy should rest with schools.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.