NOWADAYS heavy school bags are a big problem throughout Pakistan. Owing to this, students endure shoulder, lower back, neck and arm pain.

Carrying heavy bags over one shoulder is a wrong practice, as it makes muscles strain. The spine leans to the opposite side, stressing the middle back, ribs, and lower back more on one side than the other. This muscle imbalance can cause muscle strain, muscle spasm and back pain.

This is also one of the major reasons of cervical and lumbar pains. The posture of the body also gets affected to a great extent. This in the long run develops imbalance in the body and affects the nervous system.

In this case, school managements can play a major role. They should manage a better timetable and should divide syllabus and subjects on different days in lower classes, especially class I to V, which will be helpful for students who will bring relevant books and copies on selected days.

Anthony Sahotra
Larkana

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KUDOS to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for KP School Bags Act 2019! According to it, school bags should weigh 15 per cent of the child’s weight in public and private schools, and a private school which violates this law will be fined up to Rs200,000.

It is time rules were obeyed in the country. I have seen many students weigh less than their bags.

S. Babar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2019