Innovative Solutions to Heavy School Bags

Even with the increasing use of technology in education, school bags still continue to be heavy for school going children, and most parents wonder if there’s ever going to be a solution to this problem.

While most parents blame it on the teachers, teachers argue that the onus to reduce the load cannot be just left to them as they need multiple books to refer to during classes.

The state government may have acknowledged the problem but is yet to implement norms to reduce the weight of school bags. Meanwhile, some city schools have started taking help of technology to reduce the burden on school going kids.

A study conducted by researchers in Europe suggests that schoolchildren who use backpacks should avoid carrying loads greater than 10% of their body weight. When pulling a school backpack trolley, the child should avoid carrying any load greater than 20% of their body weight.

Health Effects of Carrying Heavier School Bags

For long, doctors have been warning about the long term effects / hazards of lifting heavy bags (almost 20% of their body weight). Doctors warn that heavy bags damage a kid’s posture and makes him/her vulnerable to slipped disk later in life. In addition, it can lead to stress fractures, inflammation of the growth cartilage, back and neck strain and, in worst case scenarios, nerve damage in the neck and shoulders.

The problem is worsened where schools don’t have lifts and children are required to walk up the stairs with that heavy load. These heavy bags are really hazardous to the long term health of kids.

Schools Looking for Solutions

Some schools like the Delhi Public School in Nerul, Navi Mumbai have a solution to this problem, they prohibit students up to the age of six to not carry books. They have been provided a set of books at home and at school.

In case of older children, who’re required to bring books, parents have been requested to buy their kids simple bags. Teachers have also been instructed to tell students to bring only the books required for the day.

Trolley Bags May Get Popular

Trolley Bags are bags with wheels on its base, and it could get popular if the problem of heavier school bags is not solved.

And although it is not mandatory to bring trolley bags, physically weak students may consider using one to ease pressure.

Need Better Solutions

Most parents feel that schools must find a practical solution to heavy school bags. Its definitely a sad sight to see small children carrying huge bags, in some cases the bags look bigger than the children.

Some of the top schools in Mumbai are taking classrooms online with free apps and customised software, while some have started making the transition to online platforms and will soon make lessons available online.

“Our aim is to lighten the bag by using digital versions of textbooks, while adding videos and other links,”” said one school principal.

Obviously the question comes to the mind “Do children really need to carry so much everyday?”, especially when most school are using technology to provide better education.

On the other hand, there are some teachers who think that there’s no workable solution to this problem. “Parents want their kids to have the best education, get the best test scores and have a light bag. That is like eating the cake and having it too,” said the headmistress of a school.

Perhaps, teachers and educationists need to wear their thinking hats a bit longer and come up with a better solution to the problem of heavier schools bags.

Here are some heavy duty school bags available in India:

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