Integrated textbooks to reduce bag weight, fun activities: Maharashtra schools welcome students after summer vacation

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Education Officer Rajesh Kankal said, “Schools across Mumbai— government, civic and private — held various fun activities to welcome children back. They were welcomed with attractive decorations of balloons, flowers, drawings, and music. In civic schools, stationery and other items were given to students by the BMC on day one, along with new textbooks.”

Students in all government-run schools will now have only one integrated textbook for all subjects for one quarter of the academic year. School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar announced these new textbooks last year in a bid to reduce the weight of school bags.

The first phase of the Pahile Paul campaign was held in April. Various playful activities were planned to assess children on physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, language development and pre-math numeracy skills. A report card was generated for each child based on their performance.

According to this report, parents were individually oriented on what needs to be done at home in the one month before they begin Class I in June. Parents were given an educational kit, including activity sheets and booklet, to guide them on continuous learning at home.

Kankal said, “Teachers held various activities to assess children’s growth in the past month. Accordingly, teachers will be able to make targeted efforts for children.”