Some practical ways to lighten the load
THE issue of heavy schoolbags has been making news for several years now. As usual there will be many comments, finger-pointing and suggestions which will fizzle out until someone brings it up again.
Children are in agony, carrying these monstrous pieces of baggage. It is equally agonising when a trolley bag, which is already heavy on its own, is loaded with books and rolls over their feet.
Being a teacher with close to 40 years in schools gave me the opportunity to make certain observations.
Remember the little red-and-black checked suitcases which were the fashion in the 1970s? Children had to be observant and disciplined so that they took the correct bags home.
Before that, it was baskets – with books neatly arranged. You could take out the book you wanted, at a glance.
Textbooks were neat and compact, and there were no workbooks.
Teachers carried large reference books, from which notes and exercises were given.
There was hardly any discipline problem as pupils were busy copying from the blackboard. Copying itself was an exercise in memorising.
Supplementary workbooks were sold in bookshops for home use.
Somewhere around the mid-80s, textbooks became larger as they were filled with pictures and illustrations. There was an A4-sized maths textbook with only five sums on a page. The more pictures there were, the larger and heavier the books became.
The truth is, all parties have to take some responsibility even though it may conflict with self-interest.
> School authorities have to be prudent with selection. Sales representatives offer irresistible incentives. An enthusiastic head once ordered six workbooks per subject for every pupil in Level 2 (Primary). This put a lot of unnecessary stress on pupils, teachers and parents.
> Teachers should set specific days for textbooks and workbooks, and stick to it. The thinnest one could be brought daily in case of necessity. Pupils should not be penalised if they don’t bring the books; otherwise this fear is what makes them carry everything.
> Parents should check the bags. It is not the maid’s job. Maids don’t want to be blamed so they will pack everything! Parents also need to check if unnecessary things are being carried, especially if they are not related to school.
> Pupils need to make an effort, for their own good. I have done random checks and found exercise books long completed stapled together, and art supplies carried daily, toys, unwashed T-shirts and track pants, etc. There are also pupils who carry large bags during exam times when they are specifically told not to.
Why lockers do not always work
> A class may have up to 80 pupils (two sessions). Sharing may cause obvious problems. There is also insufficient room to accommodate these facilities.
> Teachers’ cupboards are vandalised. It may happen to pupils’ lockers, too.
> Who takes responsibility for keys? If it’s the teacher or monitor, what happens if they’re absent? Not all pupils can be trusted to keep their own keys, and prising open locked cupboards creates damage and extra costs.
In a school where I taught, we had locked desks and we faced these problems. One had food locked in it over the holidays and it had to be disposed of when maggots were crawling out of the ventilation holes.
This is a scenario in many public schools, as I found out when talking to other teachers. Some teachers keep all textbooks in racks in the classroom, only to be taken home for weekends/holidays or before exams for revision. This lightens the bags considerably.
Laptops? Those who can’t afford books definitely can’t afford laptops. Not to mention the security issues which will arise. Teachers already have enough on their hands without having to monitor laptops as well.
This issue really needs to be taken seriously. A permanent solution has to be found – one that will be satisfactory to all.