Peshawar High Court moved to reduce school bags weight as it strains students . PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday summoned the head of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Private Schools Authority and secretary Secondary and Elementary Education to voice their concern over heavy hand bags carried by students.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid and Qalandar Ali Khan had issued the order during case proceedings into the matter.
The case was filed by a lawyer, Moamar Jalal, seeking court directions to reduce the weight of school bags as it strained the backs of school students.
Accordingly, the lawyer asked the court to order the government to formulate legislation to this end.
In his petition, Jalal said that deputy medical superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed hospital in Karachi had written a letter to school principals that those weighty bags can cause neck, back and shoulder pain for students.
He also produced the letter before the court along with various research studies as well.
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The lawyer asked the court to issue directives to authorities to ensure that the weight of the bag should not be more than 10% of the child's weight .
He also contended that it is unrealistic to expect kindergarten students, as well as, first and second graders to carry such huge bags.
Jalal added that other countries have formulated laws in this regard, however, no legislation has been passed so far in Pakistan.
He argued that children have been left with no alternative but to carry the these heavy bags.
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