Irish Parents Are Highly Concerned About The Weight Of School Bags

Research submitted to the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs has revealed that thirty-eight percent of parents are highly concerned about the weight of their child's school bag. Over three thousand parents expressed their concerns to The National Parents Council Primary, with twenty-two percent stating that one of their children has experienced pain or injury as a result of their heavy schoolbag. The Oireachtas Committee is currently reviewing how best to limit the number of books children are being asked to carry to and from school. Chief executive of the parents council, Aine Lynch, told the Belfast Telegraph:

"It's very hard to look at weight without looking at other issues as well. It's been mentioned a few times already around the homework issue. We are clearly stating that we are looking for a review of how much text books are needed and relied on. That's it. If we muddy the waters with weights or costs or what homework should look like, around this particular issue, we keep missing the point. Certain text books may be needed at a primary level. The question is do we need as many as we have."

The organisations' findings also showed that more than half of children presently get a lift to school. All Oireachtas committee meetings can be watched live online or on the Oireachtas smartphone app which is available to download free of charge from both iTunes and Google Play. Do YOU share the same concerns about your child's schoolbag? Let us know your thoughts in the Facebook comments. You can also join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie