Cape Town - School bags are often too heavy for children to carry, and this could lead to severe back pain and even aggravate spinal conditions, the Chiropractic Association of South Africa (Casa) says.
Children should not carry anything more than between 10 percent and 15 percent of their body weight.
Some primary school pupils are carting notebooks and textbooks, weighing more than a quarter of their body weight, on their backs every day.
Casa chief executive Reg Engelbrecht said while health-care professionals could not agree on an exact weight that school bags should be, there was a consensus that it should not be more than 10 to 15 percent of the child’s weight.
“The majority of health-care professionals agree that a child carrying 15 percent or more of their body weight can suffer from severe back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and other spinal discomfort; not to mention aggravate pre-existing spinal conditions such as scoliosis,” Engelbrecht said.
Vrenuscke Pedro, a Grade 3 pupil at a school in Piketberg, weighs 29kg and her books weigh a staggering 11kg, 37 percent of her body weight.
Her father Billy Claasen said he worried about the long-term affects on her health.
Joleen Macleod, the mother of 10-year-old Connor, said her son carried up to 10 books in his bag.
Connor weighs 30kg. His school bags weighs about 6kg – double the recommended weight. Connor should only be carrying 3kg.
The strain it put on Connor’s neck and back worried her, Macleod said.
“Fortunately, Connor does not have to walk to school, so he does not have to carry the bag that far,” the mom said.
“But he does complain that his bag is too heavy.”
To divide the weight of his son’s nearly 14kg school bag, Hassiem Martin has bought his son two school bags.
Shuaib Martin, a Grade 6 pupil, carries his textbooks weighing 7.89kg on his back.
He also carries his notebooks in a separate bag that weighs 6kg.
Martin said he had noticed that his son was starting to slouch.
“I do not know if it is as a result of the heavy school bag he has to carry every day, but I have noticed that he walks with a slouched back.”
Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Paddy Attwell advised parents to invest in an orthopedically designed bag, or a bag on wheels if they were worried about the weight of school books.
“We suggest they discuss practical solutions with the school governing body if they cannot afford the bags.
“We have not received the report of the association, but would happy to discuss it with them,” Attwell said.
Cape Times