Hyderabad: Students across Telangana can now look forward to ten days of school without heavy bags and routine lessons, with schools set to observe 10 ‘bag-less days’ for Classes I to X in the ongoing academic year. The initiative by the education department is part of a push to move academic learning beyond usual classroom routines.The idea, according to a circular issued by school education director and state project director of Samagra Shiksha, E Naveen Nicolas, is to ease the load of everyday classwork and make school “more joyful, interesting and stress-free.”On these days, students won’t sit through regular lessons. Instead, schools have been asked to organise field visits, science experiments, quizzes, surveys, model-making and skits, along with sessions with local artisans and professionals. Gardening, sports, art and hands-on exposure to local trades are also on the list. What each school picks will depend on the age group, class, students’ interests, and what is available locally.The days themselves fall on the third Saturday of five months through the year: Sept 19, Nov 21, Dec 19, Feb 20 and March 20, as scheduled by SCERT. Schools have been told to draw up annual plans around these dates well in advance, and to make sure student safety is factored into whatever activity they choose.
