Applying bag weight policy
News Kashmir Analysis
The heavy weight of bags of school going children is a matter of serious concern . This is a both health and mental issue for the children.
Throughout the world, It is common these days to see schoolchildren carrying around large, heavy school backpacks. Many are so large, in fact, that one can’t help but wonder whether or not such a heavy backpack or school bag might not only be causing back pain, but could also result in other types of damage, including scoliosis or other spinal deformities. In Kashmir too heavy bags have been a serious issue for the children.
Understanding the serious nature of the issue,
The Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) had issued few weeks back circular instructions to the schools putting a cap on the weight of school bags.
Referring to the revised school bag policy of NCERT, the DSEK in a circular has said that there should be no school bags for kindergarten students while the weight of the school bags for class 1st and 2nd primary should be 1.6 to 2.2 kg while 1.7 to 2.5 kgs for Classes 3rd to 5th primary.
As per the revised guidelines, the weight of a school bag for class 6th and 7th students should be 2 to 3 kg and 2.5 to 4kg for Class 8th students.
“The weight of the school bag for class 9th and 10th should be 2.5kg to 4.5kgs and for class 11th and 12th it should be 3.5kgs to 5kgs,” the circular reads.
The teachers have been put on instructions to take the responsibility of checking the weight of school bags of the students. “Any information about heavy bags should be communicated to the parents,” it reads.
However on the ground zero one still witnesses large number of students carrying heavy weighty bags which is a matter of serious concern . The fact of matter is to get these much needed circulars and orders applied on the ground zero so that children get much needed relief. The demand from common people is that these orders on weight of bags need to be implemented on ground zero and erring schools in this regard need to be punished .
Public circles in unison state that the burning issue of heavy weight of school Bags has been a long term problem with students carrying this weight on their tender shoulders.
Experts also state Children carrying particularly heavy school bags frequently develop a forward head posture, with the body hinging forward at the hips to balance out and compensate for the heavy weight on their backs, thus causing unnatural posture alignment.
