National Parents Council post primary are concerned about the weight of school bags.
Health and safety are of paramount importance, yet the Minister stated in a recent debate that she refuses to legislate. Workers are not expected to lift heavy weights yet our children lug overloaded school bags on one strap, as research suggests most will not wear the schoolbag correctly. Teachers often favour text books which cover several aspects of a subject, consequently these books are heavy. The problem could be solved if schools provided lockers, a second set of school books, and considered all these factors before setting home work. The Minister has left the schools to manage the problem locally. Teachers should consider the consequences of selecting too many books from different educational publishers. While National Parents Council is aware some schools do their best to keep the weight of schoolbags down, from past experience the issue will come up again and remain unresolved.
NPCpp recommend that Parents advise their children about organising their books according to the timetable and home work.
Some European countries have legislated to control the weight of school bags. However one weight for all school bags will not be a sensible solution, as children grow stronger through their school years. National parents Council is concerned that Parents have not voiced their opinion on the weight of school bags.
