Bag-less Day in schools in DK district on Saturday

Ravi.Posavanike@timesgroup.com

Mangaluru: It was finally ‘Bag less’ Saturday for students of schools in Dakshina Kannada district. Ushered in on trial basis effective December 23, children came to schools minus their bags or a bag that contained just their pencil and snack boxes, essential stationery items and a water bottle, a far cry from ‘weight’ they carry on a normal ‘working day’. Colour or house uniforms to boot only elevated their sense of feeling light from their otherwise normal load.

While reveling in this new found status going to school, Hanumantha, seventh standard student of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Higher Primary School at Mannagudda however could not help quipping on the ‘weight’ that this photo-journalist lugged. “I am happy (coming to school) without a bag. But you are still carrying a bag around,” Hanumantha said, much to his amusement and taking him down memory lane to his school days in that fraction.

Incidentally, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat and department of public instructions launched the ‘No Bag Day’, a novel initiative that permits students to go to schools every Saturday without bags and books. The department in consultation with M R Ravi, chief executive officer of zilla panchayat has decided to declare Saturday as ‘No Bag Day’. Children engage in activities that are closely related to their respective academic curriculum on this day.

Students enjoyed the day playing, participating in drawing, creating wealth out of waste, quiz and other activities. A few schools also held Christmas programmes and distributed ice-cream. Aruna, assistant head teacher at the Mannagudda school, said “I saw children enjoying either dancing or running around and other activities as against serious class room reading or writing they indulge in everyday. We also conducted quiz, pick and speak and other activities,” she noted.

Srikanta, another student was happy to be in colour dress and sense of relief from the drudgery of wearing uniform every day. Taking this joy a wee further, Srikanta said, “Everyday has to be like this as we have no headache of writing or reading.” Incidentally, most schools in the district have sent out an advisory to parents indicating them of this change with an instruction to shift the use of house uniforms to Saturday against the present designated days for the same.