While education systems around us move toward holistic and stress-free learning, one issue continues to be overlooked—heavy school bags. Despite progressive policies and well-meaning reforms, students remain burdened by backpacks that far exceed recommended limits.
Most educational guidelines suggest that a school bag should weigh no more than 10% of a student’s body weight. For younger children in early grades, that translates to around 1.5 to 2 kilograms, while older students should carry no more than 4 to 5 kilograms. Yet in practice, these standards are frequently ignored.
Some schools have attempted to ease the load through internal circulars and policies. These include informing students ahead of time about the required books, conducting regular bag checks, and ensuring access to clean drinking water to eliminate the need to carry heavy bottles. However, such measures are rarely monitored or enforced consistently.
The policy reforms also propose creative solutions such as ‘no bag days,’ integration of vocational and experiential learning, and the use of lightweight materials like thin notebooks or digital resources. Despite these thoughtful additions, the actual adoption remains limited—particularly in private or unaided schools where academic pressure and rigid routines often take precedence.
“This is about more than just books,” says an educator. “It’s about protecting the spine and spirit of a child. If policies exist, they need to be lived, not just filed away.”
The goal of a learner-centric education is commendable, but unless there is stronger accountability and collaboration among school authorities, teachers, and parents, the weight of a school bag will continue to be a literal—and symbolic—burden. It will remain heaviest on young students who have no choice but to carry this silent load every day, their backs bearing the cost of an education system still slow to unburden them.
