About 35% of SL children suffer from chronic muscle and skeletal pain mainly due to overloaded school bags

By Rathindra Kuruwita

About 35 percent of Sri Lankan schoolchildren are suffering from chronic muscle and skeletal diseases, Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, Consultant Community Physician attached to the Child Morbidity, Mortality Unit at the Family Health Bureau, said.

About 70 percent of the students suffer from some form of pain, he added.

Jayaratne said that it was mainly due to the use of substandard school bags.

Students also carry a large load of books to and from school daily, he added.

He said that the best type of school bag was the one that is carried on the back.

“In 2011, the ministries of health and education came up with a prototype of a high-quality school bag. These bags had two compartments. Heavier books were placed on the compartment closest to the back. The shoulder straps should be broad and cushioned,” he said.

Dr. Jayaratne said the total weight of the bag should be less than 10 percent of the child’s body weight.

Recently, the Ministry of Education issued guidelines to reduce the weight of school bags because of the health risks caused by heavy loads.