Maharashtra schools reopen with integrated textbooks to reduce school bag weight – Times of India

MUMBAI: Maharashtra state board schools reopened for the new academic year 2023-24 on Thursday with the government introducing the one bag per semester project from this academic year for class 1 to 8 students. Schools in Vidarbha reopen on June 30 in keeping with the summer conditions.
Textbooks this year have been divided into four parts. For each semester there is one textbook for all subjects. Blank pages have been added after each chapter in the textbook so that students do not carry notebooks to class. Integrated textbooks cum notebooks have been introduced in government schools this year in order to reduce the weight of school bags. If successful, it will be implemented in private Secondary School Certificate (SSC) schools too.
School education minister Deepak Kesarkar has put the onus on parents to ensure that students carry only one textbook in their school bags. An online guidance session on how to make the most of the blank sheets provided in the textbooks has also been provided to teachers.
On Thursday, schools in Mumbai welcomed students with flowers, songs and music. At the Hansraj Morarji school in Andheri, welcome boards were put up and classrooms were decorated.
Government schools have been directed to distribute free textbooks and uniforms to students on the first day. The state’s ‘One State One Uniform’ policy has been pushed to the next academic year. Earlier the government wanted all state-run schools to have a standardised uniform for students. However, as most schools had already placed orders for their respective uniforms, the government decided to implement the standard school attire for next year. While funds of Rs 300 per student for a uniform has been released to schools, the money for the second is awaiting in most educational institutions.