Model school bag to enter market Dharma Sri Abeyratne

[ Easing the burden]

* committee of experts decides

* Bag to solve adverse effects

* Back-pack with waist band

* Bag manufacturers can register

The model school bag designed by the Education Ministry in association with the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry will be available in the market soon, a spokesman of the Education Ministry said.

The Education Ministry has introduced the model school bag. Normal school bags used by children were found to cause certain adverse health effects on users. Considering this situation the Education Ministry appointed a committee of experts including doctors to look into this issue. The committee had found that normal bags have not been properly designed to suit the physical requirements of children. The committee therefore designed a new model school bag. The new bag comes as a back-pack model along with a waist band.

All schoolchildren are advised by the Education Ministry to use the new model school bag at least by 2011. "Having analysed many models even from foreign countries, the committee of experts designed this back-pack type school bag" Education Publications Commissioner N.M.J. Pushpakumara said.

The Education Ministry has called upon bag manufacturers to enter the school bag manufacturing industry. The interested parties can get registered at the Education Ministry.

Meanwhile, in order to reduce weight heavy textbooks will be split into many sections as different volumes from 2011. A volume will contain a few lessons only. Schoolchildren are also advised not to use exercise books containing more than 80 pages.