A major concern has been expressed in India by parents and child activists that children are carrying heavy school bags as per requirements given by their schools. Though most of the schools in India fall a trimester pattern and kids need to carry only textbooks and notebooks for their term (1, 2 or 3), because they study many subjects and each subject requires some notebooks, they end up carrying heavy school bags.
Excerpts from a news article in the daily "The Hindu" (India, Nov 17, 2014):
"The campaign against heavy schoolbags continued in Mysuru on Monday with child rights activists and workers of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) weighing the bags of children outside a private school in Krishnamurthy Puram in the City.
The activists of People's Legal Forum (PLF) and AAP turned up outside the school early on Monday with two weighing scales - one each to weigh the child and the school bag.
"We weighed about 45 children belonging to various classes from LKG to X. Against the medically prescribed weight of the school, which should be no more than 10 percent of the child's body weight, the average weight of the bag was found to be 20.43 per cent of the body weight. It is more than double the prescribed weight", said Mr Baburaj P., convenor of PLF. Heavy school bags affect the spine of the child and cause long-term deformities, he added.
Monday's exercise of weighing schoolbags was the second one in the last one week. Last Monday, the campaigners had gathered outside a school on Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road and weighed about 29 students.
While the average weight of the school bag during last week's exercise was 25 per cent, Mr. Baburaj said the average weight of the bag during Monday's exercise was 20 per cent as the school management had got the wind of their campaign and warned the students against bringing additional books. "The school management had on Saturday cautioned the students to bring only the books prescribed in the timetable", Mr. Baburaj said quoting a parent. "
A recent article in Daily Mail (UK) titled, "Heavy school bags are 'deforming' children as growing numbers suffer irreversible back problems" (John Stevens, 2012) also address the same issue.
Some excerpts from John's article:
"Growing numbers of children are developing irreversible back deformities because of the weight of the bags they carry to school, experts warned yesterday.
Half of all children suffer back pain by the age of 14 and doctors are reporting a rise in cases of spinal abnormalities in pupils, including disfiguring curvatures known as scoliosis.
Overloaded school bags that are up to double the size of those carried ten years ago are contributing to the surge, it is feared."
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/campaign-against-heavy-schoolbags-activists-weigh-school-bags-of-children-outside-private-school/article6607954.ece
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2114118/Heavy-school-bags-deforming-children-growing-numbers-suffer-irreversible-problems.html
There is no doubt about it.
Dr Vivek Sharma, a Consultant Child Specialist in India commented the following;
1. Lifting heavy burden for a long time or distance is not good for children. Half of the school children develop pain in the back or shoulder.
2. Carrying a heavy bag on the back causes forward leaning and bad posture, which can lead to improper weight bearing on the spine, and pains and aches in the shoulder and back.
3. Carrying a backpack weighing > 15% of body weight makes a child or adolescent unable to maintain proper standing posture. Children could get into bad habits like poor posture and slouching.
4. Forward bending at the back (also called kyphotic posture) makes the work of breathing harder. Children carrying heavy bags have been found to have poor lung function.
5. Children who use one-strap bags (which put weight on one shoulder only) have a particular problem. These bags cause side ways deviation of the spine (scoliosis) because of the asymetric weight distribution and this can cause long lasting backaches and damage. Slinging the bag over one shoulder causes spine damage.
http://impactofheavyschoolbags.weebly.com/research.html
http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/news/Health/Heavy-School-Bags-Back-Breaking-Burden.html
Last academic year, the Tamil Nadu State government, as part of continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE), introduced trimester system in schools for classes I to VIII. This was aimed at preventing children from carrying heavy schoolbags and reducing overall stress.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/textbooks-for-classes-iix-to-be-out-by-june/article4721660.ece
Dear Krishnan - The trimester system in Indian schools is very good - the book-size has been reduced for all subjects, and the comprehension level has improved. Also, the students do not need to remember the entire contents of the syllabus for one whole year, and writing exams for each term requires less memory, which is also welcomed by all students, teachers and parents. I understand that results have improved after trimester system is introduced.
However, many of the private schools in TN (India) require the students to carry a lot of additional material and notebooks and as a result, many students carry heavy school-bags. Best wishes, Sundar
Actually, my triple sons also face the same problem. Everyday each one carry about 20 Kg school bag, that was very heavy and burden them too much. Better to give them small text books (making chapters for studying) and note books. TQ
I shall be visiting Tunisia in March. I shall enquire my friends there about the school children and their school bags in Tunisia and Algeria.
Best wishes, Sundar
Yes, dear Sundar. Children in schools are really carrying heavy bags. The heavy bags can affect their back.
Rahman from Malaysia wrote: "Actually, my triple sons also face the same problem..."
Madam, Triple sons = Triplets = Three kids born at the same time??
This is a very very rare event...
When I joined school in the year 1958, my school bag was a metallic box which was so heavy with the books & copybooks. Add to it, the distance which I had to walk 4 times/day between home & school was about 1.5 kilometers. At present, the situation is better with more closer schools & with nice plastic bags. There is a trend in the advanced countries, to make the textbooks more slim & in our country, committees have been formed by the ministry of education to "slim" or "compact" textbooks. I think our dear school children will soon be in a better state in the aspect of carrying less heavy loads.
Yes they do, but many children have "nannies" that help them and many have "rolling" bags.
Yes, we can see children carrying heavy (sometimes almost 20-25% of their body weight) school bags. Carrying very heavy backpacks can lead to musculoskeletal problems, especially if children carry the bag on one shoulder. It puts extra pressure on one side, tilting the spine. To carry a heavy bag on the back, the child has to lean forward which leads to developing a bad posture. Further, keeping the bag down and then carrying it again is more dangerous for a growing spine than continuously walking with static weight. The maximum weight a child should carry is one tenth (10%) of their body weight including all things like their water bottle, lunchbox, etc. The excess weight puts undue stress on the muscles, ligaments and disk thus damaging them. The alignment of the column is also disturbed causing it to bend, mostly forward or sideways. Obviously, a heavy school bag puts the child’s health and physical development at risk which can hamper his/her overall growth.
Most students carry heavy school bags leading to musculoskeletal problems, as explained very well by dear Yogesh. However, it seems that there are also students who show up in university only with a mobile!. Recently a colleague of mine told me that a few students in his class do not write notes and use their mobile to take screenshots of white board!. The question is ,do they ever use these screenshots?.
Yes indeed dear @Sundar, children in Jordan are carrying heavy bags to schools; The following report By JOHN STEVENS FOR THE DAILY MAIL entitled: "Heavy school bags are 'deforming' children as growing numbers suffer irreversible back problems"
Growing numbers of children are developing irreversible back deformities because of the weight of the bags they carry to school, experts warned yesterday.
Half of all children suffer back pain by the age of 14 and doctors are reporting a rise in cases of spinal abnormalities in pupils, including disfiguring curvatures known as scoliosis.
Overloaded school bags that are up to double the size of those carried ten years ago are contributing to the surge, it is feared. See more at the link:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2114118/Heavy-school-bags-deforming-children-growing-numbers-suffer-irreversible-problems.html
yes its not good for childrens back, health.i think it should get stop.
The weight of school bags is now on the rise, with kids carrying heavy bags with books, sports equipments, shoes, musical instruments and many more, to attend after-school activities. Back pain in children must not be ignored if it is related to heavy school bags as the weight of the bag can cause permanent deformity of spine. Various studies have shown carrying a school bag that weighs 10% more than the child’s body weight has led to pain in the lower back, shoulders and hands
Solutions for Heavy School Bags
Get the right bag
1. A backpack, rather than a shoulder bag, is ideal for school as it helps distribute the weight evenly. Backpacks with two straps are more preferable. A one-side backpack can cause a lot of strain on the side it is habitually carried.
2. The backpack has to be made of light-weight material so that it does not contribute to the total weight of the bag.
3. The straps of the backpack have to be thick. They have to be adjusted in such a way that the thick part coincides with the shoulder. This gives a cushioning effect on the shoulder for the weight it bears.
4. The height of the backpack should not exceed 4 inches below the child’s waistline.
5. A waist-clip in the bag can help position the bag close to the child’s back.
Read more: How to Reduce School Bag Weight - Simple Tips http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/how-to-reduce-school-bag-weight-simple-tips.htm#ixzz3OFhL0wwi
http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/how-to-reduce-school-bag-weight-simple-tips.htm
Yes, this context is true. But the children are not in a very much fruitful situation due to this. In contrary to this, their health are poorly affected by the load on them!!!
From a research point of view, I'd like to share a conversation I had over a decade ago.
The generally accepted wisdom is (as expressed above) that "Carrying a backpack weighing > 15% of body weight makes a child or adolescent unable to maintain proper standing posture".
Some years ago physiotherapists at the University of South Australia wanted to examine this issue, but were prevented by the ethics committee from subjecting students to loads >15% because of the perceived risk. The researchers were frustrated because the 15% rule is an arbitrary figure and they wanted to provide evidence about the true effects of load on posture.
Is anyone aware of more recent research that demonstrates loads above a certain percentage of body weight casue changes to posture? Or is the 15% (or 10%, or any other arbitrary figure) still quoted despite a lack of experimental evidence???
Why can't learning be fun? There is no need, in my personal opinion, for small kids to carry bags to school as a few things needed can be put in their desks. In any case, one doesn't learn much in schools through usual practice of rote learning. Scoring good marks in exam is reflective of good memorising ability, just like vomiting food without any digestion/retention.
Schools should let kids interact with nature through excursions to nearby places with lush growing fields of different crops, animals grazing, variety of trees/shrubs, forest, indigenous irrigation system and lot of other things in a rural habitat.
Educational institutions must have facility for pure drinking water (a deep bore-well is sufficient) and some nutritious snack like soaked germinated gram etc.
@ Heshu
In TamilNadu, upto standard 9 (age upto 12 or 13 years), the book loads have been reduced
- English & Tamil (Language Reader)
- Mathematics
- Science & Social Sciences
The classwork note books are as usual for the five subjects.
http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/Std9.htm
interesting and i think children and parents in many countries are facing this problem. the solution should come from the ministries of education. there should be a change in the educational process so that young children do not have to carry heavy bags from an to schools every day
The weight that children have to carry, and the effect it has on their backs, shoulders, and general health is continually worrying parents all over the world. An average school-day consists of 7-8 classes, usually of different subjects. Each subject requires the child to carry a textbook and several notebooks. Added to the several kilograms of books and notebooks are lunchboxes, water bottles, and sports equipment. Children end up carrying huge burdens on their backs, and it is no wonder that so many of them have aching backs and shoulders. Are these schools training children to be porters when they grow up?
Dear Yogesh - It is a sorry sight to see those young kids carrying so much weight. Parents & schools may take a proactive role on this. I welcome suggestions from Prof. Mahfuz, Barry, Krishnan, Abedallah, Marcel, Douglas, Debi, Nageswara, Roland, Jeanan, Kamal on this..
Children’s skeletons are under developing stage and having a heavy bag can exert unnatural force on the bones, spine, muscles and attachments. Every bone has a growth centre or points from which growth of the bone takes place as per the age. Carrying excess weight in the form of heavy school bag could damage these growth centres leading to stunted or abnormal growth of the bones of the child.
Dear Yogesh - Books are not posing problems to school kids in India. Private schools in India ask children to carry too many note books along with the books, and this results in overload of school bags.. In Government schools in India, comparatively, bags are not too heavy.
Very true, in addition to text books, number of notebooks, sometimes even 3 notes boos for each subject and so many boxes like pencil box, colour box,lunch box, water bottle, are tight filled in the schoolbag,which makes the too heavy. School administration should pay attention to this and design the class routines in such a manner that this heavy load could be reduced.
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