The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) has announced that almost 96% of local schools have installed lockers, and 97% have installed drinking fountains, in the hopes of making school bags lighter.
Since September this year, the bureau has conducted 150 surveys weighing school bags at different schools across the city, testing about 50,000 bags. The data collected will be sent to schools to help lighten students’ school bags even further. Schools may, for example, consider choosing lighter textbooks.
According to the DSEDJ, the weight of a school bag should not surpass 15% the weight of its carrier. In order to achieve the goal, a subsidy scheme is available for schools to install facilities that help lower the weight of school bags. Authorities expect that 30 more schools will achieve significant improvements in lowering weight of school bags.
With lockers and drinking fountain installed, the need for students to bring a lot of textbooks, stationery and other materials, like water bottles, to school is reduced, the DSEDJ asserts.
Nonetheless, the authority has also encouraged publishers to be mindful of the weight of textbooks. Students have also been encouraged to use school bags with wheels. AL
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