I arrived from
Manila last night with a 10 kilo hand-carried luggage (as measured by
the NAIA weighing scale). I didn't find it particularly heavy. Then on
the the way home, my wife and I fetched our son from our in-laws'
home. As usual, I was the one who carried our son's school bag into the
cab. Upon picking up my son's bag, I immediately realized that it was
FAR HEAVIER than the 10kilogram luggage I brought in from Manila, twice,
or at least heavier by around 5-8 KILOS! My! That's 15-18 kilos that my
son has to lug around in school daily. Let's just say his school bag with all the contents just weighs 15 KILOS, converted to pounds, the bag weighs 33 POUNDS. Studies made by Pediatric Orthopedics say that the ideal weight a child must carry MUST ONLY be a maximum of 10% of his/her body weight. Let's just say my son weighs around 85 pounds, then, his max carrying load must only be around 8.5 POUNDS. But, NOW with his SCHOOL BAG AND BOOKS weighing 33 POUNDS, he's carrying around 4 TIMES that maximum ideal load! And, just like other parents, such keeps me perennially worried for my son's (and other children's) well-being, not only now, but even in the future because of the ORTHOPEDIC HAVOC all these HEAVY BURDENS he (and also the other children) has to carry.
Please let me share with you some articles what damage these humungous burdens can cause to our children:
1. Heavy school bags can damage your kids
A school highlights a guideline that suggests children should not carry bags weighing over 10% of their body weight
By Sneha May Francis (http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/heavy-school-bags-can-damage-your-kids-2013-08-29-1.519163)
Published Thursday, August 29, 2013
It’s that time of the year again, when schools re-open and children end up helplessly lugging heavy bags.
Some that could possibly end up as a health risk for these youngsters.
Especially when they pack in nearly 15-kilos or more and balance it on their fragile shoulders day in and day out.
Despite health experts and educationists warning against the risks and lobbying for a ban on bags, there is still no rule yet.
Some experts even cited that children who end up carrying bags that weigh over 15 per cent of their body weight will damage their body.
In fact, a school in Dubai citied a new guideline, suggesting that “a schoolbag "should weigh no more than 10 percent of the child’s bodyweight and should be worn over both shoulders so the weight is distributed correctly”.
Parents, however, complain that there are way too many things to pack in.
“There’s the schoolbooks, assignments, and various food boxes, juice and water. Some days there’s PE kit as well,” described a mother of a student who attends an Indian school in the emirate.
“When you put everything in, the bag should easily weigh more than 17-kilos. It’s shocking, but that’s how it is.”
While some might argue that trolley bags might help reduce the impact, many schools ban it citing “health risks”.
A British school in Al Nahda, rated ‘good’ by the DSIB, recently e-mailed parents and extensively detailed why trolley bags can harm children.
“Heavy trolley bags are causing children to twist their backs for extended periods with their shoulder and arm stretched behind them just to manage the trolley bags,” it read.
“This potentially causes serious skeletal and shoulder problems.
“Children tend to use their trolley bags as a weapon intentionally knocking against others causing them to trip or fall down.”
The school further reasoned that “book bags” must be light and children must carry only books that are needed for that day. Most children end up carrying all their books even though they have been instructed to use the school lockers, they added.
Dubai’s education regulatory authority advised schools must involve parents in choosing the right bag.
“Students are not compelled to choose a specific type of bag. Schools must engage with the parents to select a bag which is suitable for the child’s age group and safe for them to carry,” said Mohammed Darwish, Chief of Regulations and Permits Commission at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
“Safety of the children is our primary concern and we are confident that private schools in Dubai also put children’s safety first.”
While there are two schools of thought regarding the use of trolley bags or not, there’s a third that believes there should be no bags at all.
“Children should be given tablets, and school work should be online. That’s the future and we must equip the young kids for that. And, it won’t stress their backs,” detailed Suad Alhalwachi, an educationist working as director of Education Zone company.
“It will also eliminate paper and save the environment.”
She highlighted how children must not carry any bag, adding how every year many books are discarded. “This can be avoided if the focus shifted online.”
2. Children are still damaging their spines by carrying school bags that are too heavy
Despite government reminders to parents and students, children are still carrying school bags that are too heavy for them, leading to serious spinal damage
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 17 September, 2013, 12:00am
UPDATED : Friday, 27 September, 2013, 8:27pm
(http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1310896/children-are-still-damaging-their-spines-carrying-school)
Vivian Chiu life@scmp.com
Most Popular
Children are carrying school bags that are too heavy for them
It took sixth-former Sandra five years before she could stop wearing a back brace. Sandra, who prefers not to disclose her real name, is a casualty of the enduring problem of Hong Kong students lugging overly heavy bags.
Signs of trouble were already surfacing in Primary Four, when she would cart thick history and grammar texts between home and school daily to complete her class assignments. "The teacher might not finish covering material from the textbook during the term, but we still had to bring the whole book.
My back hurt from carrying the heavy load to school every day
Sandra, scoliosis sufferer
"My back began to hurt from carrying the heavy load to school every day. At first, the pain wasn't so serious. My mum would just massage my shoulders," Sandra says.
By the time she was in Primary Six, Sandra was diagnosed with scoliosis - a deformity in the spine curvature that particularly affects teenagers. Physicians at a government orthopaedic clinic issued her with a back brace, which she has had to wear all through secondary school.
On a typical school day, Sandra's backpack continues to be stuffed with textbooks, notepads, and files. Then there's her trumpet, her running shoes, and a water bottle on the two days when she has PE class and music practice.
Thankfully, the distortion of her spinal curve is now under control, and she no longer needs to wear a brace. But to ensure the condition does not worsen, Sandra regularly visits a chiropractor to stretch her muscles and elongate her spine.
Surveys have repeatedly associated shoulder, neck and back pain with carrying heavy school bags. But the problem persists despite annual reminders from the Education Bureau to parents and students that school bags should not exceed 15 per cent of the child's body weight.
Four to five out of 1,000 Hong Kong students suffer scoliosis, according to the department of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Hong Kong medical school.
Diagnosed using an X-ray, the condition shows how increasing loads on the back flattens the "S" curve of the spine and reduce its capacity to reposition itself.
Scoliosis, which is six times more common in girls, happens most rapidly during the spurt of bone growth in puberty. The child does not feel pain at first, and mild conditions can be effectively controlled by wearing a brace. But if untreated, the deformity may restrict heart and lung function, and require corrective surgery.
A poor sitting posture, like slumping, or playing sports that always use one side of the body, can contribute to scoliosis, experts say.
Students are advised to use lightweight bags, and pack just what they require for the day's classes, eliminating unnecessary items such as comic books, or a water bottle when the school has drinking fountains. Children are advised to use lockers to store items such as art supplies, sweater, umbrella or dictionaries when not in use.
"Studies indicate that 96 per cent of students carry school bags which are heavier than 15 per cent of their weight," says Dr Grace Szeto Pui-yuk, an associate professor at the Polytechnic University's department of rehabilitation sciences.
That may be due to the wide range of subjects students must now tackle in the more technologically advanced and information-rich society of today, she suggests. With each new subject comes more textbooks and study material.
The shoulder bag and the backpack are the two types of bags most favoured by Hong Kong students, and each presents a different set of problems. "While it may look cool for students to sling their shoulder bag across their chest, one shoulder has to constantly bear the load. Over time, their spinal curvature may be affected because of the asymmetric weight on the shoulders," Szeto says.
Backpacks are preferable to shoulder bags because the load is balanced across the back. But backpacks also bring problems. The head automatically leans forward, and this shifts the centre of gravity towards the neck to counterbalance the weight on the back.
According to Keith Wong Hon-wing, a registered chiropractor at the Hong Kong Chiropractic Healthcare Centre, this unnatural posture could be a cause of neck and back aches, as well as stiffness, numbness and a tingling that extends from the shoulders to the hands.
In severe cases, the child may develop a hunch back as the body is pulled backward against natural forces. A healthy "straight" posture, Wong says, is when the person's ear is aligned with his shoulder, hip, knee and ankle, when viewed from the side.
When children start complaining of neck, shoulder, and back aches, parents should immediately send them for checkups to prevent further deterioration of their spine, experts say.
Students should learn the correct way to carry school bags while they are still growing. "Kids carrying backpacks like to let the load hang down their back, which actually makes it harder to carry. They should shorten the shoulder strap, so that the load is ideally positioned between the shoulder and the middle of the back," Szeto says.
Wong recommends choosing backpacks with chest and waist straps. When both straps are buckled, the weight is evenly distributed across the body.
The adoption of electronic textbooks (e-books), which is encouraged by the Education Bureau as part of e-learning programmes, might help reduce the weight on young shoulders, but that's not always feasible.
Secondary school teacher Mo Kin-ping says her school considered using e-books. "But we found out they were more expensive than the actual hardcopies, and students may not be able to afford them."
Please let me share with you some articles what damage these humungous burdens can cause to our children:
1. Heavy school bags can damage your kids
A school highlights a guideline that suggests children should not carry bags weighing over 10% of their body weight
By Sneha May Francis (http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/heavy-school-bags-can-damage-your-kids-2013-08-29-1.519163)
Published Thursday, August 29, 2013
It’s that time of the year again, when schools re-open and children end up helplessly lugging heavy bags.
Some that could possibly end up as a health risk for these youngsters.
Especially when they pack in nearly 15-kilos or more and balance it on their fragile shoulders day in and day out.
Despite health experts and educationists warning against the risks and lobbying for a ban on bags, there is still no rule yet.
Some experts even cited that children who end up carrying bags that weigh over 15 per cent of their body weight will damage their body.
In fact, a school in Dubai citied a new guideline, suggesting that “a schoolbag "should weigh no more than 10 percent of the child’s bodyweight and should be worn over both shoulders so the weight is distributed correctly”.
Parents, however, complain that there are way too many things to pack in.
“There’s the schoolbooks, assignments, and various food boxes, juice and water. Some days there’s PE kit as well,” described a mother of a student who attends an Indian school in the emirate.
“When you put everything in, the bag should easily weigh more than 17-kilos. It’s shocking, but that’s how it is.”
While some might argue that trolley bags might help reduce the impact, many schools ban it citing “health risks”.
A British school in Al Nahda, rated ‘good’ by the DSIB, recently e-mailed parents and extensively detailed why trolley bags can harm children.
“Heavy trolley bags are causing children to twist their backs for extended periods with their shoulder and arm stretched behind them just to manage the trolley bags,” it read.
“This potentially causes serious skeletal and shoulder problems.
“Children tend to use their trolley bags as a weapon intentionally knocking against others causing them to trip or fall down.”
The school further reasoned that “book bags” must be light and children must carry only books that are needed for that day. Most children end up carrying all their books even though they have been instructed to use the school lockers, they added.
Dubai’s education regulatory authority advised schools must involve parents in choosing the right bag.
“Students are not compelled to choose a specific type of bag. Schools must engage with the parents to select a bag which is suitable for the child’s age group and safe for them to carry,” said Mohammed Darwish, Chief of Regulations and Permits Commission at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
“Safety of the children is our primary concern and we are confident that private schools in Dubai also put children’s safety first.”
While there are two schools of thought regarding the use of trolley bags or not, there’s a third that believes there should be no bags at all.
“Children should be given tablets, and school work should be online. That’s the future and we must equip the young kids for that. And, it won’t stress their backs,” detailed Suad Alhalwachi, an educationist working as director of Education Zone company.
“It will also eliminate paper and save the environment.”
She highlighted how children must not carry any bag, adding how every year many books are discarded. “This can be avoided if the focus shifted online.”
2. Children are still damaging their spines by carrying school bags that are too heavy
Despite government reminders to parents and students, children are still carrying school bags that are too heavy for them, leading to serious spinal damage
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 17 September, 2013, 12:00am
UPDATED : Friday, 27 September, 2013, 8:27pm
(http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1310896/children-are-still-damaging-their-spines-carrying-school)
Vivian Chiu life@scmp.com
Most Popular
Children are carrying school bags that are too heavy for them
It took sixth-former Sandra five years before she could stop wearing a back brace. Sandra, who prefers not to disclose her real name, is a casualty of the enduring problem of Hong Kong students lugging overly heavy bags.
Signs of trouble were already surfacing in Primary Four, when she would cart thick history and grammar texts between home and school daily to complete her class assignments. "The teacher might not finish covering material from the textbook during the term, but we still had to bring the whole book.
My back hurt from carrying the heavy load to school every day
Sandra, scoliosis sufferer
"My back began to hurt from carrying the heavy load to school every day. At first, the pain wasn't so serious. My mum would just massage my shoulders," Sandra says.
By the time she was in Primary Six, Sandra was diagnosed with scoliosis - a deformity in the spine curvature that particularly affects teenagers. Physicians at a government orthopaedic clinic issued her with a back brace, which she has had to wear all through secondary school.
On a typical school day, Sandra's backpack continues to be stuffed with textbooks, notepads, and files. Then there's her trumpet, her running shoes, and a water bottle on the two days when she has PE class and music practice.
Thankfully, the distortion of her spinal curve is now under control, and she no longer needs to wear a brace. But to ensure the condition does not worsen, Sandra regularly visits a chiropractor to stretch her muscles and elongate her spine.
Surveys have repeatedly associated shoulder, neck and back pain with carrying heavy school bags. But the problem persists despite annual reminders from the Education Bureau to parents and students that school bags should not exceed 15 per cent of the child's body weight.
Four to five out of 1,000 Hong Kong students suffer scoliosis, according to the department of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Hong Kong medical school.
Diagnosed using an X-ray, the condition shows how increasing loads on the back flattens the "S" curve of the spine and reduce its capacity to reposition itself.
Scoliosis, which is six times more common in girls, happens most rapidly during the spurt of bone growth in puberty. The child does not feel pain at first, and mild conditions can be effectively controlled by wearing a brace. But if untreated, the deformity may restrict heart and lung function, and require corrective surgery.
A poor sitting posture, like slumping, or playing sports that always use one side of the body, can contribute to scoliosis, experts say.
Students are advised to use lightweight bags, and pack just what they require for the day's classes, eliminating unnecessary items such as comic books, or a water bottle when the school has drinking fountains. Children are advised to use lockers to store items such as art supplies, sweater, umbrella or dictionaries when not in use.
"Studies indicate that 96 per cent of students carry school bags which are heavier than 15 per cent of their weight," says Dr Grace Szeto Pui-yuk, an associate professor at the Polytechnic University's department of rehabilitation sciences.
That may be due to the wide range of subjects students must now tackle in the more technologically advanced and information-rich society of today, she suggests. With each new subject comes more textbooks and study material.
The shoulder bag and the backpack are the two types of bags most favoured by Hong Kong students, and each presents a different set of problems. "While it may look cool for students to sling their shoulder bag across their chest, one shoulder has to constantly bear the load. Over time, their spinal curvature may be affected because of the asymmetric weight on the shoulders," Szeto says.
Backpacks are preferable to shoulder bags because the load is balanced across the back. But backpacks also bring problems. The head automatically leans forward, and this shifts the centre of gravity towards the neck to counterbalance the weight on the back.
According to Keith Wong Hon-wing, a registered chiropractor at the Hong Kong Chiropractic Healthcare Centre, this unnatural posture could be a cause of neck and back aches, as well as stiffness, numbness and a tingling that extends from the shoulders to the hands.
In severe cases, the child may develop a hunch back as the body is pulled backward against natural forces. A healthy "straight" posture, Wong says, is when the person's ear is aligned with his shoulder, hip, knee and ankle, when viewed from the side.
When children start complaining of neck, shoulder, and back aches, parents should immediately send them for checkups to prevent further deterioration of their spine, experts say.
Students should learn the correct way to carry school bags while they are still growing. "Kids carrying backpacks like to let the load hang down their back, which actually makes it harder to carry. They should shorten the shoulder strap, so that the load is ideally positioned between the shoulder and the middle of the back," Szeto says.
Wong recommends choosing backpacks with chest and waist straps. When both straps are buckled, the weight is evenly distributed across the body.
The adoption of electronic textbooks (e-books), which is encouraged by the Education Bureau as part of e-learning programmes, might help reduce the weight on young shoulders, but that's not always feasible.
Secondary school teacher Mo Kin-ping says her school considered using e-books. "But we found out they were more expensive than the actual hardcopies, and students may not be able to afford them."
