Manama: Bahrain’s education ministry has told elementary schools to reduce the weight of the bags that their students carry.
Parents have complained directly to ministry officials and through the media about the suffering of their children forced to carry heavy school bags throughout the academic year.
Solutions suggested by the ministry included ensuring that heavy books are used on different days.
Teachers were told to keep all heavy books in the classrooms while notebooks should be lighter and tools needed for the art classes should be left in a locker in the school to avoid heavy burdens.
Elementary schools must set up a committee to follow up on the negative effects of carrying heavy bags, the ministry said in a circular.
All students are required to attend workshops that show them how to carry their bags.
However, the ministry said that parents also had an active role in the building of a positive culture of lighter bags.
“Parents should be highly selective in choosing the schoolbags of their children and ensure the highest safety standards,” the ministry said.
Students in Bahrain start their formal education at the age of six and are required to attend elementary school for six years, intermediate school for three years and high school for three years.
