K & P

School authorities summoned over heavy backpacks of students

Peshawar High Court moved to reduce school bags weight as it strains students

Our Correspondent October 10, 2018

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.

Study weight: Committee formed to address heavy backpacks

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.

COMMENTS (2)

Anoni | 6 years ago | Reply A sane voice. Perhaps the easiest way to proceed would be to divide the load into weekly . where you are suppose to keep one bag for one week and second for other. Even better would be to keep the books at schools and kids do the home work at school so that kids don't have to carry those huge bags. and are free to go home.

Hazeen | 6 years ago | Reply Thank you for reporting on this vital issue of overloaded schoolbags that school kids are being burdened with. A court or government directive needs to be issued to put all schools public and private ON NOTICE that they must provide facilities to students to store their books like lockers or desks / shelves with storage capacity.

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