The Madras High Court, on Monday, ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to publicise the 'No homework till class 2' rule in newspapers and other media.
According to reports, Justice N Kirubakaran passed the order on a plea seeking direction to order CBSE to follow only the textbooks and syllabus set by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
In its submissions to the court, the CBSE said that as per its bylaws, schools affiliated to CBSE must comply with its regulation of not giving homework for students up to class 2. It also stated that the Board had already given circulars to the schools emphasising this point twice -- in 2004 and in 2016.
The CBSE said that after the court's order on May 29 regarding the reduction of bag load of students, it had again stressed on the importance of following the rule.
On May 29, the Madras High Court had prohibited all schools affiliated to the CBSE from giving homework to students in classes 1 and 2 and had directed the board to conduct surprise checks in schools with flying squads.
It had also directed the schools not to use textbooks that are not in line with the syllabus prescribed by the NCERT.
The court had earlier said that no school should force upon children any subject other than language and mathematics in classes 1 and 2. Further, it said that schools that do not follow these orders should be disaffiliated from the CBSE.
“Neither children are weightlifters nor school bags load containers,” Justice Kirubakaran said and directed the central government to formulate a policy on the lines of the Children School Bags (Limitation on Weight) Bill, 2006.