BURDEN OF THE SCHOOL BAG: IS ANYBODY LISTENING?

Abstract

In recent years, the weight of students' school bag has become an increasing concern to people with an interest or involvement in education at primary and secondary level. Parents, in particular, have given voice to this concern both as individuals and through their representative organisations. In addition, school authorities and teachers, health professionals and, indeed students themselves have increasingly voiced their unease regarding the heavy loads, which must be carried to and from school on a daily basis. Heavy school bags can be a burden, which tire students unnecessarily. There are also many researches, which have revealed strong correlation between school bag weight and physical problems among all students that can result in serious consequences in the future. So what are the factors, which contribute to the increased burden and weight on school children? Is it the number of textbooks, workbooks and copies , the size and weight of individual textbooks, the additional content and weight of the school bags or some other factors which have an indirect influence on the weight of school bags? These could be the provision of storage facilities, the lack of coordination of homework by teachers, students' lack of organisational skills and awareness in the school authorities of the possible health problems posed by excessively heavy school bags. This paper seeks to address these issues.