'It's painful': UAE parents voice concern about heavy school bags

Many parents are voicing concerns about their children's heavy backpacks, urging schools to allow them to carry fewer books. They have pointed out that schools often have sprawling campuses, requiring students to walk long distances or climb stairs, which becomes challenging when they have heavy bags on their backs.

Meanwhile, doctors have also warned of risks to physical health and the overall well-being of children due to carrying bags exceeding the recommended weight limit. This affects not only their academic performance but also their long-term development, they said.

Doctors have also recommended that a child's backpack weigh no more than 20 per cent of their body weight.

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Amna Al Hammadi, an Emirati mother, shared her son's struggles in a parents' social media group. "I felt heartbroken when I lifted my 8-year-old son's bag… he must carry all this weight daily." She said that while there is an elevator in the school, its use is restricted to students with medical conditions.

Amna also described how she saw children struggling to lift their trolley bags on the stairs, adding, "It requires a lot of effort because they can't just drag them."

Another parent, Muna Mohammed, too, spoke about her 9-year-old daughter's difficulties. "My daughter has a hard time taking her bag up the stairs. Last week, she came home complaining of pain in her hands and legs. Children with small bodies shouldn't have to carry such heavy weight, it's causing them pain."

Um Ahmed, speaking to Khaleej Times, said books in folders and lunch boxes add to the weight of backpacks. "Last year, the bus stop was close to the classrooms, but this year, my daughter says it is far away, and they have to walk a long distance with their heavy bags, which makes her tired," she said. "I don't understand why the books can't be kept in school to lighten the load."

Doctors explained the impact of heavy backpacks on children's health.

Dr Mamata Bothra, a paediatrician and neonatologist at International Modern Hospital Dubai, said: "Carrying heavy bags can cause neck and back pain. The weight pulls the child backward, forcing them to bend forward at the hips and arch the back to maintain balance. This unnatural posture often leads to neck, back, and shoulder pain."

Dr Bothra also pointed out that carrying a bag on one's shoulder can strain the arm, while tight straps can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hands. "If not addressed, these issues can lead to long-term problems with posture," she warned.

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