Inspired by film, Kerala schools will have no backbenchers and lighter schoolbags from next academic year

Kerala’s Education Department has decided to do away with the row-based layout of classrooms to abolish the concept of backbenchers from the next academic year. It has also decided to take measures to reduce the weight of schoolbags.

Education Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday said the state Curriculum Steering Committee has ratified the draft report of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), which looked into introducing the two changes.

“We want to make the schools more child-friendly and democratic. Accordingly, there is a recommendation to reduce the weight of the schoolbags. There will be steps to scientifically reduce the weight after factoring in the physical fitness of the students. Besides, back benches in classrooms will be abolished to ensure that all students get equal attention and there is a democratic academic atmosphere in the classes. Accordingly, seating arrangements in classrooms will undergo changes,” Sivankutty said.

The minister said both recommendations will be implemented from the next academic year, starting June 2026. The draft recommendations of SCERT will be made public to enable all stakeholders to air their opinions, which will be taken into consideration, he said.

Inspired by film

Early this academic year, certain schools in Kerala had decided to go for a “horseshoe” seating arrangement in classrooms. A few schools in Kannur, Thrissur and Kollam districts have introduced the horseshoe, or semi-circle, seating arrangement in which students are seated in the perimeter of the classroom, facing each other. The teacher is also able to have a face-to-face interaction with all students who happen to sit in such a layout, with the teacher moving in the middle of the room.

The new seating arrangement in some of the schools was inspired by a 2024 Malayalam film, Sthanarthi Sreekuttan. The film, directed by Vinesh Viswanathan, tells the story of a backbencher, Sreekuttan, who revolts against the traditional classroom arrangement. In the climax of the movie, the row seating in the classroom is replaced with a U-shaped arrangement.

The RCC Lower Primary School at East Mangad in Thrissur district was one of the first schools in Kerala to introduce the new seating arrangement in classrooms.

Headmistress Liji C R had said a few months ago, “From the outset of the academic year, there have been informal discussions about improving the learning standards of students. Some of the teachers then mentioned the film and recalled their own experience as backbenchers. We thought about abolishing the backbench system, starting with class 1. Accordingly, seats were arranged in the U-shape.”