Cyprus schools told to tackle heavy bag weight ahead of new term

Local educaitonschoolsteachersTop News Cyprus schools told to tackle heavy bag weight ahead of new term Eighty Eight Backpacks Filled With School Supplies F30028 1024 Relevant News Cyprus schools told to tackle heavy bag weight ahead of new term 20 August 2026 Cyprus pension reform: What people living or moving here need to know 20 August 2026 Shop shut for August 20 August 2026 newsroom 20 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus’s Primary Education Directorate has issued schools with guidance on reducing the weight of children’s school bags, as part of a circular ahead of the new school year. It sets out advice and information for students, parents and schools, and asks schools to apply a clear policy and practices to reduce or resolve the issue. Carrying a heavy school bag every day can cause negative health effects, the circular notes, including lower back pain, muscle pain and poor posture, and can potentially lead to unstable walking with an increased risk of injury. Schools are asked to apply a clear policy and practices suited to each school’s particular circumstances and environment, and to set aside time at regular intervals to remind staff of the policy and practices in place. School recommendations The Primary Education Directorate recommends that schools discuss the issue at a staff meeting at the start of the school year, taking the necessary measures to address it early and preventively. Teachers should not staple or bind worksheets into exercise books in a way that adds to their weight, and should never combine children’s exercise books to create bigger ones. The Education Ministry deliberately orders exercise books with few pages so that children do not carry excessive weight. Once a book’s pages are used up, it can be kept at school or at home, so the child carries only the exercise book still in use. Separately, where feasible, timetables should schedule lab-based subjects in consecutive periods. For subjects that use more than one book, teachers should make clear to students which books and exercise books are needed each day, and there should be only one exercise book per subject unless more are genuinely necessary. Student guidance Teachers are also asked to give clear instructions on what children are expected to bring in their bag the next day. A school bag should contain only the books and stationery needed for that day’s lessons, according to the timetable. Books and stationery that are not needed should be left at school or at home. A number of children also carry two or more pencil cases of stationery, which is a problem in itself and should be avoided. Students should be briefed at the start of the school year by their class teacher on the correct way to use and carry their school bag. Heavier books should be packed close to the back of the bag and lighter ones further away, with books and exercise books packed so they do not shift around inside. Carrying the bag with only one hand or over one shoulder should be avoided, with bags worn on both shoulders considered more ergonomic. Straps should be adjusted so the bag fits the child’s back as closely as possible, and bags on wheels can make life considerably easier for children. When carrying a loaded bag, students should avoid bending at the waist, bending their knees instead and keeping their back straight. They should also avoid keeping the bag on their back while stationary, such as during morning school assemblies, taking it off and placing it on the ground instead. Books such as anthologies, dictionaries and grammar books should be kept on classroom or lab shelves, with individual cardboard storage boxes available for children to store books and exercise books not needed for study at home. Stationery items such as rulers, coloured pencils, scissors and erasers should stay in the classroom for use at school. Schools are also asked to work with parents and guardians to help children develop the right habits around their school bag. The circular stresses that a child’s age and body are key factors in choosing the right bag size and type. Students themselves should understand that failing to organise their school bag daily is seen as a sign of indifference or an inability to meet their school responsibilities. Cooperation and involvement from everyone is expected to help prevent the school bag weight problem, the circular notes. International practices A few months ago, former Movement of Ecologists–Citizens’ Cooperation MP Charalambos Theopemptou raised the issue in a note that he also sent to the Education Minister. Among other points, Theopemptou looked at practices in other countries, noting that at European level, practical approaches rely not only on weight limits for students’ bags but mainly on organisational and logistical solutions within schools that reduce the need to carry books and exercise books every day. In France, there is a clear national recommendation that bag weight should not exceed around 10% of a child’s body weight, an approach accompanied by practical measures to lighten the load. In Italy, guidance focuses on a recommended weight of around 10-15% of body weight and correct ergonomic carrying, alongside classroom and school practices such as carrying only what is necessary, and publisher solutions such as splitting books into separate volumes. In Germany, strong emphasis is placed on ergonomics and standards for school bags, with schools encouraged, where feasible, to keep heavy books on-site. In the United Kingdom, guidance recommends a maximum load of around 10% of body weight, correct use of the bag with two straps worn close to the body, and practical solutions such as the use of lockers. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus pension reform: What people living or moving here need to know Shop shut for August Man hospitalised as West Nile virus case confirmed in Cyprus The open crossing points perpetuating partition Admire the state: how it recycles its own inertia He wanted to exist only on paper South Korea estimates North Korea has up to 120 nuclear warheads, far above Trump’s figure Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.