(MENAFN- The Peninsula) sanaullah ataullah |
The Peninsula
Many students of private schools in Qatar are carrying heavy school bags, according to a survey conducted by The Peninsula.
The survey, which covered several students from private schools from KG 1 to grade 3, found their school bags are heavier than the recommended standard weight.
The Peninsula investigated how a backpack has turned into a burden for many schoolchildren and how parents, educational institutions and medical experts should address it.
The bag of a grade 3 student was about 9kg and some of them weighed 9.5kgs. Some of the students in grade 2 were found carrying bags weighing over 7kg. Such cases are found in some community schools and this phenomenon even applies to students of KG1 and KG2.
Parents raise concerns about heavy bags:
Sharing their concerns about the heavy school bags of their children with The Peninsula, many parents said that they felt bags are burdening their children urging authorities concerned to bring about an innovative solution to reduce the weight.
According to a father, the weight of bags being carried by his kids every day from home to the bus and from the bus to the class reaches 7kg for his son in KG2 and 8.5kg for his daughter in grade 3.“As I am living on the second floor of a residential building without a lift, the kids have to carry the bags.”
“Carrying heavy bags could cause serious health problems for the children in the future therefore bodies concerned in these schools and the Ministry should find a solution to this problem and school bags must be regulated in accordance with health specifications and educational standards,” he stressed.
Abu Rayhan, father of three school-going children, said that the bags of his children are burdening them.
“My children are going to an Indian school. My daughter is in grade 4. The elder son is in grade 2 and the younger one is in KG1,” said Abu Rayhan. He said that the weight of their bags is weighing about 7kg, 6kg and 3.5kg respectively.
“They are going to school in my car. I carry their bags from home to car and from school to car because of their heaviness,” said Abu Rayhan. He said that students have to carry their bags themselves inside the school, urging school management and authorities concerned to bring about a suitable solution to reduce the weight of school bags.
Representational image
“My daughter is in grade 3 and she is using a trolley-bag which is weighing about 9kg,” said Abu Ahmad. He said that his daughter asks him to carry the bag from home to the car because of its weight.
“I think textbooks are too much heavy. A science textbook of my daughter weighs about 800 grams. It should be published in two or three parts to reduce the weight,” suggested Abu Ahmad.
Are schools taking measures to reduce weight of school bags?
The survey found that many schools are aware of this problem and have taken a number of measures to reduce the weight of school bags but still more efforts are needed to slash the weight further to meet the required standard.
The measures implemented in some schools include providing tablets for textbooks, worksheets replacing notebooks, classroom lockers and timetables to bring only needed books and notebooks. Trolley bags and backpacks are also helpful in reducing the efforts of students, according to officials in some schools.
The schools' officials also said that the measures they took helped reduce the weight of bags significantly, but they are still heavy which needs further steps and some of them require the intervention of higher authorities because they are beyond their reach, for example, publishing textbooks in parts.
Introducing e-books:
President of two Indian schools operating in Qatar, DPS Monarch International School and DPS-Modern Indian School, Hassan Chougule, said that parents should check the bags of students to ensure they are carrying only those books that they are needed for the day according to the class timetables.
But generally, he said, the students carry all subjects in their school bags which is one of the main reasons behind heavy school bags.
Speaking about the measures taken by his school in reducing the weight of school bags, Chougule said:“We introduced a digital system providing e-books which reduced the weight of school bags drastically in DPS Monarch International School.”
He said that the modern technologies which are emerging worldwide could be used for reducing the weight of school bags such as e-books and tablets.
To a question about reducing the weight of textbooks by dividing them into parts, he said:“Such reforms would be helpful, but it is not in the control of schools. This initiative requires involvement of publishers and the institute the schools are affiliated with and following the curricula.”
Chougule said that the textbooks could be divided into two to three parts for three months or six months but schools cannot take such decisions because it should be done from the basic source.
Speaking about the complaints of parents about the weight of school bags, he said:“We do not receive any remarkable complaints from parents nowadays because of new types of bags such as backpack which divides the weight on the body of the students – both shoulders and back – unlike those bags which students were carrying in their hands in the past.”
Hassan Chougule, President of DPS Monarch International School and DPS-Modern Indian School
Chougule said that trolley bags also contributed significantly to reducing the efforts of students which eventfully serve the purpose of handling the weight of school bags.
“The best solution to reduce the weight of school bags is to ensure that students carry only textbooks and notebooks which are required on that day. This could be done by providing class timetables by schools to parents asking them to give only needed books and notebooks,” said Chougule.
Replacing notebooks with worksheets:
The Next Generation School (TNG) has replaced notebooks with worksheets as part of measures the school has taken to reduce the weight of school bags.
“We are not using notebooks. Teachers print barcoded worksheets with the name of students and subject on daily basis, then they are distributed among students in their classroom,” said Founder Director of TNG Group, Riyaz Ahmed Bakali.
He said that students do their homework on worksheets and return it to the teachers who would scan the worksheets to upload on the system.
Further explaining the uses of worksheets, Bakali said:“For example, if a student has six subjects in a day, they require six notebooks which were burdening school bags. Now students are provided one-page worksheet per subject in a day replacing notebooks which drastically reduced the weight of school bags.”
He said that TNG is also providing reference books in classrooms, which students need to solve their lessons, so they do not need to carry such books in their bags.
Riyaz Ahmed Bakali, Founder Director of TNG Group
“We are also providing all required stationery in classrooms. It means that TNG students are required only to carry textbooks in their bags in addition to lunchboxes and water bottles,” said Bakali.
He said that the students are also given class timetables enabling them to bring only textbooks for those subjects needed on that day.
“The measures taken by TNG School such as the provision of worksheets to students, reference books and stationery in classrooms helped reduce the weight of school bags significantly,” said Bakali.
Rearranging class timetables:
The principal of a private school said that they have taken a slew of measures to reduce the weight of school bags to the required level but it still needs to be slashed further to meet the optimum level.
“The measures include the provision of locker facilities to students in their classrooms for keeping their books and rearranging class timetables allowing two periods for some subjects in some days avoiding to bring textbooks with notebooks of all subjects every day,” said the Principal.
He said that the measures helped in reducing the weight of bags by up to 30 percent but there is a need to do more to meet global standards.
“The measures were taken following a complaint from parents about the weight of school bags. One of the parents approached the school after she saw her child losing balance while riding a bus to go to school,” said the principal.
He said that some subjects were taught daily according to the weekly timetable such as English, Urdu, Mathematics and Science therefore, students were required to bring these four books on a daily basis and take back home for homework.
“Both English and Urdu have two textbooks for language and literature plus notebooks that add to the burden,” said the Principal.
To reduce the weight of school bags, he said:“We rescheduled class timetable for example mathematics became three days in a week in place of five days enabling students to not carry textbook of mathematics and notebook in two days likewise English and some other subjects.”
He said that despite the rearrangement of the class timetable the weight of school bags did not reduce to the optimal level as it needed to be slashed further.
“Unfortunately, the books are heavy in weight because of the quality of paper so it is difficult to reduce further. The ideal solution is to switch to e-books carrying PDF files of textbooks,” said the Principal.
To reduce the weight of school bags, he said that teachers are also using a technique of keeping those textbooks and workbooks in the classroom lockers for which homework is not given.
The possible solutions to the problem:
Schools can provide students with locker facilities in their classrooms for keeping their books.
Schools are required to formulate student homework timetables so that students get homework in no more than two subjects in a day.
Schools are also needed to develop class timetables which require students to use only some subjects on a day and not all the subjects. The authorities concerned are required to provide specifications for the size of notebooks. Textbooks can be published in two to three parts to reduce weight.
Medical experts' views:
According to a medical expert, the weight of the school bag should be less than 10 percent of the body weight of the student as anything more than that can negatively affect a child's spine health.
Regular use of a heavy backpack can cause numerous issues in growing children including pain in the upper and lower back and shoulders. Experts said that carrying heavy school bags is unhealthy for students.
Dr. Raghu K H, Specialist- Orthopedics, Aster Hospital
Dr. Raghu K H, Specialist - Orthopedics, Aster Hospital, said:“Heavy backpacks can cause a range of health problems in children, including back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain.”
He said that the weight of the backpack can compress the spine and lead to poor posture, which can put stress on the neck, shoulders, and back muscles.
“Children who carry heavy backpacks on regular basis can also develop muscle imbalances, which can lead to chronic pain and disability later in life. In extreme cases, heavy backpacks can even lead to spinal deformities,” said Raghu.
To minimise the risks associated with heavy backpacks, he said it is important to choose a backpack that is appropriate for your child's size and weight.
“The backpack should fit snugly against the child's back, with the straps adjusted so that the weight is evenly distributed.”
Dr. Sihab Panakkathodan, Specialist Pediatrician, Wellkins Medical Centre
He said that parents can also help by encouraging their children to carry only the necessary items in their backpacks and to use lockers or other storage options at school when available.
“It's also a good idea to monitor your child's posture and back health regularly, and to seek medical attention if you notice any signs of discomfort or pain.”
Dr. Sihab Panakkathodan, Specialist Pediatrician, Wellkins Medical Centre, Doha, said that carrying a heavy school bag can have a negative impact on children's backs and overall health.
“Heavy school bags can cause back pain in children. Carrying a heavy load for prolonged periods can strain their spine and muscles, leading to pain and discomfort,” said Panakkathodan.
He said that carrying a heavy load can cause muscle fatigue, leading to tiredness and reduced concentration.
“This can negatively impact academic performance. Heavy bags can put undue strain on children's joints, leading to injuries and joint problems,” said Panakkathodan.