Heavy School bags affecting children’s health, Parents seek relief

ISLAMABAD, Oct 04 (APP):Parents have shown serious concern over the issue of heavy school bags on tiny shoulders, calling it a daily burden that is affecting the health and happiness of young students.

Every morning outside schools, parents can be seen helping their small children carry bags that look much bigger than their own bodies.

According to parents, these bags are overloaded with thick textbooks, notebooks, water bottles and lunch boxes, and the weight is far more than what a small child can easily carry.

Doctors have warned that this daily burden can have long-term effects on a child’s physical health.                                                                     Talking to an APP scribe, an orthopaedic doctor named Dr Bilal from Rawalpindi said, “We are seeing many young patients complaining of shoulder pain and back pain due to heavy school bags. Carrying excessive weight at a young age can affect spinal development, cause muscle strain and lead to poor posture that may become permanent if ignored.”

He said a child’s bag should not weigh more than ten to fifteen percent of their body weight, noting that when children bend forward to carry heavy bags, it puts extra pressure on their spine and shoulders, which can also cause fatigue, headaches and difficulty in walking properly.

He commented that Children are in their growing years and their bones and muscles are still developing. Continuous pressure from heavy bags can slow their physical growth and make them tired throughout the day, which also affects their concentration in class.

A mother of a Class Two student, Atiqa, said, “My daughter is just seven, and her bag is so heavy that she cannot even lift it properly. I have to carry it to the school van daily and in the evening she complains of pain in her shoulders.”                                                                  She said that her child leaves for school happily but comes back fully exhausted, adding that the weight of the bag makes her tired and she avoids homework.

She suggested that they buy expensive lightweight bags, but the real problem is too many books, so schools should think of dividing books into parts or keeping extra books in the classroom.

A father from Rawalpindi said, “My son has to take eight books every day. Education is important, but his health is also important. Schools should provide lockers or make a timetable with fewer books.”

The parents of these children requested the concerned school authorities to take prompt and practical steps to make school bags lighter so that students can enjoy learning without much physical burden.