Bengal caps school bag weight at 10% of child’s body weight

MP, May 23, 2026, Kolkata: The state School Education Department has issued guidelines capping school bag weight at 10% of a child’s body weight.

Following a communication from the Union Ministry of Education on implementation of the School Bag Policy, 2020, the Paschim Banga Samagra Shiksha Mission on Friday circulated the guidelines to district officials.

The guidelines cite studies linking heavy school bags to backache, poor posture and strain on the neck, shoulders and spine, noting that students often lean forward while carrying overloaded bags and may face difficulty lifting them safely.

Under the norms, pre-primary students should not carry school bags.

Recommended bag weight has been fixed at 1.6–2.2 kg for Classes I–II, 1.7–2.5 kg for Classes III–V, 2–3 kg for Classes VI–VII, 2.5–4 kg for Class VIII, 2.5–4.5 kg for Classes IX–X, and 3.5–5 kg for Classes XI–XII.

Schools have been directed to regularly monitor bag weight using weighing machines.

The guidelines recommend restructuring timetables to reduce the number of books students carry daily.

Classes I and II have been advised to use a single notebook for classwork. Students of Classes III–V may use two, with only one carried at a time. From Class VI onwards, students have been advised to use thin exercise books instead of thick notebooks.

Schools have also been asked to provide drinking water and quality mid-day meals so students do not need to carry water bottles or lunch boxes.

The guidelines prescribe no homework for Classes I and II, cap homework hours for higher classes and ask teachers to coordinate homework schedules to avoid overburdening students on a single day.

Special provisions have been included for children with special needs, including double sets of textbooks through school book banks and lockers where required.

The guidelines also encourage “bagless days” for arts, sports, quizzes, vocational activities and field visits.

Students of Classes VI–VIII have been advised to undergo a 10-day bagless internship with local vocational experts such as carpenters, potters, gardeners and artists.