Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai on Friday presented the School Bags (Limitation of Weight) Bill before the provincial assembly.

The bill is aimed at regulating the weight of schoolbags for the children.

The permissible weight of schoolbag for pre-Grade-1 would be 1.5 kg, Grade-1 2.4 kg, Grade-2 (2.6,) Grade-3 (3 kg), Grade-4 (4.4) kg, Grade-5 (5.3) kg, Grade-6 (5.4) kg, Grade-7 (5.8)kg, Grade-8 (5.9) kg, Grade-9 (6kg), Grade-10 (6.5kg) , Grade-11 (7kg) and Grade-12 (7kg).

Shahram Khan Tarakai in the month of October had said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become the first province to introduce such legislation. “I am glad to announce that the provincial cabinet has approved the KP School Bags (Limitation Weight) Act which will regulate the weight of schoolbags. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the first province to introduce such legislation. A long due relief for children & parents,” he wrote.

According to doctors, heavy schoolbags lead to strain, fatigue and physical discomfort among children and thus, affecting their attentiveness and ability to learn.

1,900 new lecturers

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to recruit as many as 1,900 new lecturers. The KP Finance Department has agreed to create such a large number of posts of lecturers (BPS-17) in various colleges of the province with effect from December 1, the department said in a letter written to the provincial Higher Education Commission (HEC) lately.

The new recruitment will cost the provincial kitty over Rs522 million during the current fiscal year.

Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the KP government, reiterated that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s dream of investing in humans will be fulfilled. A total of 1,900 teachers are being recruited at a college level, he added.

He said the government would ensure transparency and merit in the entire recruitment process.

Bangash said the provincial government will fulfill all promises made to the province’s youth under KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s leadership.