'Sambhrama Shanivara': Bag-free Saturday in a month for kids to resume

Bengaluru: State Education Department has notified all government primary and high schools in the state to observe a ‘bag-free’ day on one Saturday of every month under the ‘Sambhrama Shanivara’ program.

Student activity materials and teachers’ manuals related to ‘Sambhrama Shanivara’ that have been uploaded on the website of the Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) must be utilized, a circular issued by  Samagra Shikshana Karnataka said.

‘Bag free’ day aims to inculcate civic consciousness by engaging children in multifaceted activities, molding them into ideal citizens. The objective is to create a joyful learning experience by reducing the burden of textbooks. Self-explanatory pictorial activity books for students in 10 different subjects and guide manuals for teachers to conduct them in classrooms have been prepared.

The project was first announced in 2019. However, the implementation was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With normalcy restored, the education department has decided to implement the program.