The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly on Tuesday passed the School Bags Limitation of Weight Bill 2020, a move which will finally allow children to get rid of carrying unnecessary books to school every day.
According to the bill — which is the first one of its kind in Pakistan — separate weight limitations have been set for each grade. The school bag weight limit for first graders will be 2.4 kilogrammes (kg). Grade-two students will carry a school bag not weighing more than 2.6 kg, while the weight limit set for grade-three students is 3 kg.
Action will be taken against principals of government institutions where children are found to be carrying school bags in excess of the prescribed weight, the bill stated.
Moreover, private educational institutions will be fined up to Rs200,000 for violating the law.
The provincial government introduced the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa School Bags Limitation of Weight Act 2020 in October this year.
Last year, the KP govt had drafted the same bill but did not present it in the assembly.
