Back bags – Part 2: Recommendations

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Dr. Mehdi Abd Al-Sahib – Orthopedic Surgeon

Children need constant care and guidance until they reach the stage of youth and become full of health and strength to be active and productive human beings in society.

Family is where kids first learn right and wrong behavior. Then comes the role of the teacher and the school in educating students about the risks of misusing a school bag.

(First) The role of the family and parents:

1- Choose a light bag that does not weigh more than 1 – 1.3 kg when it is empty and has durability and rigidity.

2- What is a good bag? (A) Its total weight (with contents) does not exceed 10% of the child’s weight. (B) The back of the bag is sturdy and well-padded, and it should adjust or be aligned with the child’s back to prevent and reduce pressure. (C) The bag should have two shoulder straps and one around the waist to bring the bag closer to the spine to reduce pressure. The straps should be wide, well-padded, and adaptable to the child’s body. (D) The handles should be smooth and comfortable to hold.

3- Choose light notebooks. Water bottles, pen boxes, and supplies must be light and small in size.

4- Carry the bag correctly. (A) Adjust the straps so that the base of the bag is slightly higher than the kid’s waist. (B) When carrying the bag, it should be close to the child’s back, rather than hanging off the shoulders. (C) Emphasize to the child the dangers arising from carrying a bag on one shoulder.

5- Choose a bag with a bright light color such as orange or yellow. This makes the child more noticeable during the day, and during the evening as well. It’s better to have the bag fitted with silver reflective straps so that it’s easier for car drivers to see the child.

6- Organize the contents of the bag, because kids sometimes keep unnecessary things. Teach the child not to carry books that are not needed every day. Heavy objects should be close to the back, and lighter objects with irregular surfaces or angles away from the back so as not to cause direct pressure on the child’s back.

7- When using a wheeled bag, it must be taken into account that the handle of the bag should be long enough so that the child does not have to twist or bend. The wheels must be large enough so that the bag does not sway or tip over during walking.

8- Clean the bag regularly, because dragging the school bag on the ground leads to daily contamination with dust, microbes, fungi, and allergens.

9- Ask the child regularly if he feels tired or in pain to reduce the weight of the bag. Take the child to the doctor if he complains of back pain.

(Second) The role of the school and the Ministry of Education:

1- Educating students about the dangers that may accompany heavy school bags by issuing periodicals, pamphlets, and booklets that are distributed to students explaining this.

2- Emphasis on printing and publishing houses to issue books with relatively light paper and in small sizes.

3- Commitment to the weekly schedule and the distribution of school subjects over the days in a good manner so that the student does not have to bring all his unnecessary books.

4- Another suggestion is to print two copies of each book, one at school and one at home, or dividing large books into two parts or more, so that the student only carries the first part of the book for the first semester of the year and the second part of the book for the remaining semester of the year.

5- Following an educational system that focuses on school activities more than homework, especially in primary schools, where the student finishes his assignments at school and does not bring home any materials related to his studies.

6- In secondary schools, it’s best to provide lockers for the bags so that the student does not have to carry them between lessons.

7- Providing students with meals or providing healthy shops, so that students do not need to carry food in their bags.

8- Providing transportation (buses) from home to school and back, with subsidized fees.

9- Emphasis on sports lessons and exercise in order to strengthen the student’s structure and muscles.

We wish you good health.

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