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28 March 2024

Heavy school bags can damage your kids

Published
By Sneha May Francis

It’s that time of the year again, when schools re-open and children end up helplessly lugging heavy bags.

Some that could possibly end up as a health risk for these youngsters.

Especially when they pack in nearly 15-kilos or more and balance it on their fragile shoulders day in and day out.

Despite health experts and educationists warning against the risks and lobbying for a ban on bags, there is still no rule yet.

Some experts even cited that children who end up carrying bags that weigh over 15 per cent of their body weight will damage their body.

In fact, a school in Dubai citied a new guideline, suggesting that “a schoolbag "should weigh no more than 10 percent of the child’s bodyweight and should be worn over both shoulders so the weight is distributed correctly”.

Parents, however, complain that there are way too many things to pack in.

“There’s the schoolbooks, assignments, and various food boxes, juice and water. Some days there’s PE kit as well,” described a mother of a student who attends an Indian school in the emirate.

“When you put everything in, the bag should easily weigh more than 17-kilos. It’s shocking, but that’s how it is.”

While some might argue that trolley bags might help reduce the impact, many schools ban it citing “health risks”.

A British school in Al Nahda, rated ‘good’ by the DSIB, recently e-mailed parents and extensively detailed why trolley bags can harm children.

“Heavy trolley bags are causing children to twist their backs for extended periods with their shoulder and arm stretched behind them just to manage the trolley bags,” it read.

“This potentially causes serious skeletal and shoulder problems.

“Children tend to use their trolley bags as a weapon intentionally knocking against others causing them to trip or fall down.”

The school further reasoned that “book bags” must be light and children must carry only books that are needed for that day. Most children end up carrying all their books even though they have been instructed to use the school lockers, they added.

Dubai’s education regulatory authority advised schools must involve parents in choosing the right bag.

“Students are not compelled to choose a specific type of bag. Schools must engage with the parents to select a bag which is suitable for the child’s age group and safe for them to carry,” said Mohammed Darwish, Chief of Regulations and Permits Commission at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

“Safety of the children is our primary concern and we are confident that private schools in Dubai also put children’s safety first.”

While there are two schools of thought regarding the use of trolley bags or not, there’s a third that believes there should be no bags at all.

“Children should be given tablets, and school work should be online. That’s the future and we must equip the young kids for that. And, it won’t stress their backs,” detailed Suad Alhalwachi, an educationist working as director of Education Zone company.

“It will also eliminate paper and save the environment.”

She highlighted how children must not carry any bag, adding how every year many books are discarded. “This can be avoided if the focus shifted online.”

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