ISLAMABAD: After getting positive results in 20 schools, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has introduced bag-free policy in city’s over 100 primary schools.

Now, students are going to these schools without bags but with two notebooks and a diary.

Last year, pigeon holes and special racks had been set up in 20 model colleges-cum-schools. And this year, this initiative has been extended to all primary schools of the city areas.

“We have set up pigeon holes and special racks in all primary schools of urban-I and II as we got positive results of last year’s pilot project,” said Director General FDE Dr Ikram Ali Malik.

ISLAMABAD: After getting positive results in 20 schools, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has introduced

He said next year this initiative would be extended to all remaining schools. The DG said that the initiative has been taken keeping in view the physical as well as mental health of children of junior schools.

He said forcing students of junior classes to bring heavy bags is not justified. “I myself noticed that two and three graders carry heavy bags. That’s why we have introduced free bags initiative,” he said and stated that this initiative should be replicated in private schools as well.

Talking about opening of new schools, he said that after Aug14, six new colleges and schools will be inaugurated.

“FDE got constructed new educational institutions,” he said. Talked about his last year’s target about increasing enrollment up to 25,000 students in primary schools, he said: “The formal review is pending, but we got very good feedback from principles of the schools, I was told that overall enrollment saw significant increase,” the DG said and added that the directorate is also planning to start a new initiative to target out of schools children.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2022