Mangaluru: To reduce the burden of carrying textbooks and encourage creative thinking among children, the district education department has proposed “No bag day” on Saturday, December 23, across all schools — private as well as government — up to 10th Standard.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction Y. Shivaramaiah said that schools across the district have been asked to have co-curricular activities throughout the day. “The timetable will remain the same, while the day’s activities will be without the use of textbooks.”

On Saturday, children will not be bringing their bags. Teachers will be holding quiz, debate and painting competitions for children. The children would be made to read books in the library or do projects in the laboratory. “We will leave it to teachers to have activities that help build creativity and understanding of the subject,” he told.

Mr. Shivaramaiah said that the idea to have the “No bag day” came to him after attending an interaction programme with schoolchildren on December 9 at the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya. “When I sought reaction from children for a ‘No bag day’, many of them lifted their hands in support of the proposal,” he said.

After holding consultation with Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer M.R. Ravi, Mr. Shivaramaiah wrote to all Block Education Officers on holding the “No bag day” in all schools.

Mr. Shivaramaiah said that he has sought feedback from teachers and parents about the new initiative. “If we get a positive feedback, we will hold this day every month,” he said.

Asked whether the proposed initiative will come in the way of activities planned by the schools in the final quarter of the academic calendar, Mr. Shivaramaiah said, “We are not making mandatory for institutions to observe it. We are just asking them to try it out,” he said.