With heavy school bags slung over their shoulders, school girls walk back home from school. In most schools in Nagaland, young children are made to carry overly heavy school bags causing the risk of permanent back problems. (Morung photo)
Nagaland Schools not aware of ‘Children’s School Bag Act’
Y Merina Chishi
Dimapur | August 26
Most schools in Nagaland are putting children’s health at risk by making them carry overly heavy school bags. As per the Central government’s Children’s School Bag Act 2006, a school bag should not weigh more than 10% of a child’s body weight. But children here are being made to carry almost a quarter of their body weight every day, increasing the risks of permanent back and shoulder problems.
In a countrywide survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in the months of March-April, 2012 on “heavy school bags causing children severe back pain” has revealed that nearly 58% of children below the age of 10 suffering from mild back pains, which can develop into chronic pains and later, in a hunchback.
Every day we notice school children slouching and dragging their feet to school with heavy bags slung over their shoulders. Overloaded school bags that are double their size makes it hard for children to walk without slouching. Children of the lower classes tend to bear the burden more. Even kindergarten kids are seen carrying bags which is a violation of the Central government guidelines for schools across the country.
A lady who runs a hostel for school kids in Signal Basti said that children, especially those in the intermediate classes carry bags that weigh upto 5/6 kilograms. She said that students of class 2 and 3 in “some schools” also carry upto 5 kilos of weight, making it extremely hard for the children to walk. Many of them complain about shoulder and neck pains, she said, adding that sometimes the children get bruises and prickly heat on their shoulders due to the weight.
An average school day consists of eight periods or classes, usually of different subjects. Each subject requires the child to carry a textbook and several notebooks. So on an average, a child is made to carry at least 16 books a day. Sometimes children are also made to carry extra text books that may not be needed because teachers do not specify which texts they would be using in case of subjects that have more than one text book. Added to the several kilograms of books and notebooks are lunchboxes, water bottles and other equipments that may be needed at school.
In Nagaland most (almost all) schools do not have locker facilities or shelves where children can keep their books. For this reasons children have to keep carrying their books back and forth every day. Only a handful of schools have such locker facilities. “My daughter’s bag is very light. She only brings her homework and the rest of her books are kept in her locker at school,” a lady whose child studies in Holotoli School said. But many kids are not as lucky as they carry overly heavy bags to school every day. The problem is more prevalent among children who have to “walk” to school.
Most school authorities and teachers are not aware that the Children’s School Bag Act exists. In fact, many expressed surprise (some even amused) that such an Act exists at all. The Act has laid down short but specific guidelines for the State governments and schools regarding school bags. This Act has been strictly implemented across all metro cities in the country where an average school bag is said to weigh 7 kilograms. With increasing health concerns over the matter especially among parents here, school authorities and the State government should make efforts to enforce the Act and lighten the burden of children.
