COLOMBO // For nearly two decades, Sri Lankan children have trudged to school grumbling about the weight of their backpacks, which get heavier year after year as syllabi expand to include new subjects. Many children have complained of back pain and tiredness while parents of younger students are often seen carrying the bags before and after school.
It was the same last Tuesday when schools opened after the year-end holiday. Now in line with international trends, Sri Lankan authorities plan to introduce a lighter and more child-friendly bag from 2011 onwards.
Manufacturers of school bags will be provided specifications for the new bag that is expected to be available in 12 months. Currently there is no bag that is specified as a school bag by the authorities.
According to Dr Kapila Jayaratne, a community physician and consultant with the health ministry, schoolchildren face a number of problems from carrying heavy backpacks. "General tiredness levels are very high after a school session," he said. "Muscular pains, possible lateral deviation of the body, shoulder level shift and psychological issues are a result of carrying a heavy bag.
"We need to find ways of reducing the load it carries," he said.
Nilmini Perera, 30, whose son is in second grade, said she is sad at what she calls the "tragedy of the school bag". "It's extremely heavy even for us - there are times we find it difficult to carry it," she said. "Children have no choice because they have to take all these books to school."
Children in the middle grades - five to nine - in state or national schools carry an average of 20 books a day in addition to other material. In the upper grades, 10 to 15 books might be needed for any school day.
In another step towards creating awareness among children about carrying a "healthy school bag", some science textbooks will include a chapter on how to load, pack and carry a school bag, according to Dr Jayaratne, who conducted research on backpacks in 2006-07.
WMNJ Pushpakumara, the commissioner general of education publications at the ministry of education, said the use of large-size text books and too many notebooks were among the reasons students carried heavy bags.
"The weight [with its contents] of a school bag can vary from 10kg to 15kg," he said.
In an effort to reduce the weight, he said the ministry is asking manufacturers of notebooks and textbooks to limit the number of pages.
"For example we want children to be able to have smaller 100 or 200 page notebooks instead of 400 pages and split the textbooks maybe into four parts - serving three to six months - instead of a full year. The load would be much less then," he said.
To alleviate the weight of a packed bag, in recent years backpacks with rollers have been available and many children wheel their bags to school. But these are impractical when climbing stairs.
A common sight at schools is parents of young children carrying the bags and handing them over to their children at the gate or carrying it after school.
Niluka de Silva, the mother of a grade five girl, said her daughter often complained of a heavy bag and was "dead beat" after school. "The moment she comes out of the school gate, she unloads it on me with a sense of relief," she said.
After learning about ergonomics, the study of matching the equipment used in the workplace to fit the worker in order to prevent injuries, Dr Jayaratne focused his attention on "ergonomics in the school education environment". Ergonomic considerations in schools include the bag, seating/classroom furniture, IT equipment, lighting and sound.
Dr Jayaratne concentrated on school bags in particular for his research because of the many complaints about their weight.
"This research was a first not only in Sri Lanka but also in Asia," he said. He received the support of the International Ergonomic Association to undergo a three-week training stint in the Netherlands before embarking on the research.
Dr Jayaratne's survey found that 58 per cent of students studied carried bags with a weight that was over 10 per cent of their body weight. "These are unhealthy bags," he said.
Having a healthy and child-friendly bag is only half the solution. Trying to convince children to use these bags is the other half, he said.
"We need to inculcate a healthy bag behaviour because there is no use having the model bag if it's not used.
"We want these bags to be attractive and child friendly with colours, flowers and butterflies and different compartments."
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Champions League Last 16
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Points to remember
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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
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Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
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The specs: 2019 Cadillac XT4
Price, base: Dh145,000
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
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Torque: 350 and 360Nm
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Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Torque: 1075Nm
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, kick-off 10.45pm
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
