The issue of students’ schoolbags being too heavy has been unresolved for a long time. Some medical experts have reminded that primary and secondary school students are at an important stage of bone development. During the development period, if children carry heavy schoolbags for a long time, it will have a certain impact on their bone development.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister of Education Datuk Mohd Raz announced that the Ministry of Education will take seven measures to reduce the weight of schoolbags for primary school students more effectively.
The seven ways to be introduced by the Ministry of Education include:
1. Provide cabinets for students to collect textbooks
Elementary schools that do not have morning and afternoon classes can put books in desk drawers. For schools with morning and afternoon classes, the Ministry of Education expects to spend RM37.3 million to set up lockers for these students to store books.
The first phase, which is expected to cost RM37.3 million this year, will be the construction of lockers for lower grade students in grades 1 to 3 to store their books for primary schools with morning and afternoon classes, involving 323,186 students in 10,662 classes. student. The next stage is next year, building lockers for senior students in grades 4 to 6; primary schools without morning and afternoon classes can put books in desk drawers.
2. Reschedule the class schedule
The Ministry of Education will also rearrange the class schedule to limit the daily class schedule to only 3 to 4 subjects, depending on the importance of the subject, the number of teachers and the school’s class time. Schools are also allowed to develop a cycle-by-cycle timetable, where only specific subjects are taught in a single week, in order to reduce the number of textbooks and workbooks students carry.
3. Reduce the number of pages in exercise books and workbooks
The Ministry of Education will also reduce the use and number of pages of exercise books and workbooks. There should be no more than two exercise books for each subject, and each exercise book should not exceed 80 pages. Students can only use the activity workbook (Buku Aktiviti) prepared by the Ministry of Education, and the workbook (Buku Kerja) can only be used as reference material or review material outside the classroom.
4. Use e-textbooks
The Ministry of Education will continue to publish new textbooks in digital format. The Digital Education Learning Measures (DELIMa) website has uploaded 692 digital textbooks, and students with electronic devices can use digital textbooks through the DELIMa platform.
5. Adopt a more learning and teaching (PdP) approach
Teachers are also encouraged to use student-centred learning and teaching (PdP) approaches, namely subject-based learning, modular, project-based learning, hands-on simulations (virtual labs) or differentiated learning.
6. A special team will be established to supervise and implement relevant measures
This oversight will be carried out by a special task force that will regularly report on the implementation of these initiatives.
7. Students are allowed to wear school uniforms in KAFA classes, no need to bring more clothing
The Ministry of Education will also work with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) to ensure that students can wear their school uniforms flexibly during the Kelas Al-Quran & Fardu Ain (KAFA) period without the need to carry more clothing and increase the weight of their schoolbags.
