Heavy schoolbags, now a “light matter” at school
By Devva Priyaan Arasu 27 July 2022
Schoolbag are shown as weighing items while students look at it.
-Image Courtesy: Consumer Association Penang
Batu Caves, Selangor: Carrying heavy schoolbag by primary students is an issue that happens in most schools which causes these pupils to have health issues, concerns by their parents on their child doing so and also what would be the action that will the school or the ministry of education take to curb on this matter.
Since before the Covid-19 pandemic and currently on this endemic phase primary students carrying heavy bags to school daily is still debatable till this day and it has been criticised that such things happen due to some lack of proper actions that has not been taken by the school nor the government.
Interview session with Ms. S. Sarasvathy, the principal of SJKT Batu Caves.
However, Ms.S. Sarasvathy the principal of SJKT Batu Caves, has different opinions about it as she said that her school SJKT Batu Caves no longer has issues on students carrying heavy schoolbags and stated that the entire school management was aware and alert on the issue of students carrying heavy bags to school daily.
“Previously in 2017-18 during the assembly times we would advise the students not bring all the books daily and only bring those that is stated in their timetables. I would also advise the teachers during the meetings, on to tell their students to only bring the books according to their timetable only.”
“I also do not agree that the government is not taking action as the relevant authorities has always request me to alert on any case occurring with students and heavy bags in the school and to reduce the number of subjects in the timetable for students which I think is a very good idea that they provide to us which automatically dismisses the heavy schoolbag issue.”
Mr. Annathurai, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) head of SJKT Batu Caves.
Mr Annathurai, the head of the school’s PTA stated that, rather than waiting for the ministry or any officials to provide them a solution for any problem faced in the school, it is better for the school teachers and parents to discuss and solve the issues in the PTA meetings so that the students won’t face any problems in the future and that was what drive us to provide lockers to each students in the school.
Students’ lockers as shown in one of the classes at SJKT Batu Caves to ease burden of students carrying heavy bags to school
“The students locker initiative was a success as a result from discussing with the school’s PTA and we collected the funds to buy it and around 1,500 lockers with keys for each student.” added Mr. Annathurai
A photo taken with R. Sanjay, one of the students of SJKT Batu Caves after an interview session conducted with him.
School student R. Sanjay mentioned he no longer carries heavy bags as the school provide them with lockers to keep all their books and materials in it and only bring the one assigned with homework’s and others to home.
“Before this some students experienced some shoulder pains when bringing heavy bags to school and now thanks to the school’s locker initiative, he said no students had any issues regarding it ever since.”
Ms. Rajivi, during a Zoom interview session conducted.
Ms. Rajivi a teacher at the school has said that she don’t agree for children under 12 age to many books that many load on their back and they have to only need bring books that they need for the day and bring back home some for either revision or homework, which is also very less given nowadays especially after the online learning phase during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
“We have also reduced the number of workbooks for students, like for the English subject we had 4 exercise books but now we have reduced it to 2 exercise books only.”
“But still, there are some children who do not want to oblige, so in our school we do constant checking on students who bring in a lot of books and help them to keep the necessary books in the lockers and the rest back to home.”
Ms. Kavita, and her daughter who is a standard six student at SJKT Batu Caves.
Kavita a parent said sometimes she wonders why her child need to carry such heavy bags to school but if one thinks positively about it, the number of subjects they going through the day like 5 per day, the particular books they take consists not only of textbooks but also exercise books and additional modules in which students uses everyday as well.
“My daughter who is 12-year-old says she carries the books that is necessary for the day according to her class timetable only and I as a parent check her timetable and the number of books, she needs to bring each day for the subjects she will be taking that day.”
“Once I even asked my daughter have you ever feel burdened by carrying a lot of books in the bag daily, making it heavy to school and her daughter replied this are the books required for the day and we obliged to bring them, and I don’t think it as a burden too.”
Kavita also added that the school has taken the right actions to curb this heavy schoolbag problem such as reducing the number of subjects on students timetable and this has minimized the bag weight for the students to carry. Many parents were also relieved and did not worry anymore about their kids carrying schoolbags that is heavy on a daily basis to school as well.
More Related News Sources
Heavy school bags a weighty issue,https://www.thesundaily.my/local/heavy-school-bags-a-weighty-issue-FL8904474
Lockers among initiatives to banish heavy school bags,https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/03/777446/lockers-among-initiatives-banish-heavy-school-bags
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