Lawmaker eyes bill limiting weight of pupils' school bags

MANILA, Philippines – How heavy should the bags of school children weigh when they are required to carry all their books everyday when school opens in June?

Rep. Carmelo Lazatin of Pampanga First District said he would file a bill seeking to limit the weight of bags that children should be required to bring to school. He cited the case of the Mary, Help of Christians School in Mabalacat, Pampanga, where parents found out that the average weight of bags carried daily by grade school students is about 40 percent of the body weight of the pupils.

“I think such a problem is all over the country, that’s why school bags as big as a foreign tourist’s luggage are again selling well for the school opening anywhere you go,” he said.

The Department of Health has expressed concern over the policy of some schools, mostly private institutions, that requires pupils to bring to class everyday all their heavy books, notebooks and other requirements. “This is a concern that must be addressed for the sake of the health of the children,” said DOH regional director Dr. Rio Magpantay.

Studies have shown the adverse effects on students of carrying heavy bags and experts recommended that schools limit the weight of bags to less than 15 percent of the body weight of students. Lazatin said a 1988 study conducted by the Hong Kong Society for Child Health and Development, which showed that 4.54 percent of Grade 3 to Grade 6 students have back problems ranging from mild to serious spinal deformities due to the heavy bags they carry to school daily.

Spinal problem

He cited a 1994 Scandinavian study showing a high probability for spinal problems in children who carry backpacks, no matter how they wear them. “The study found that 53.7 percent of children who carried their packs on one shoulder complained of back pain. Forty five percent of two shoulder pack wearers complained of back pain. Interestingly, the highest level of back pain, 68.6 percent carried the bag in one hand. The study also concluded that females were more likely to experience backpack-related pain than boys,” he quoted the study as saying.

 “Pupils are supposed to listen to their teachers in school, and read their textbooks at home. In the end, having pupils carry heavy load to school will be counterproductive, with many of them physically deformed as adults. Heavy load in school could be one reason why so many now suffer from spinal injuries, including slipped discs,” he said.

Ma. Felicidad Mendoza, acting superintendent of the Department of Education in Pampanga, said she was not aware of any government policy on the weight of school bags school children have to bring to school.

In related developments, DepEd held yesterday a multi-agency Oplan Balik Eskwela” meeting where the department coordinated with other government agencies and private sector groups on measures they will take to ensure a smooth and orderly opening of classes on June 1.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that the OBE meeting was successful and that DepEd was able to gather all the action plans of other government agencies and private companies to brace for the school year opening. “The support of our partner agencies is critical to the success of this year’s Oplan Balik Eskwela,” Lapus said. – With Rainier Allan Ronda