What is the weight of a school satchel not to exceed?

THE bag weight is a real concern for parents, but also for the Ministry of National Education. Very often too heavy for students to bear, Gabriel Attal has announced his desire to “halve the weight of the school bag“ for the start of the 2024 school year. The school bag could thus weigh 4 kilos on average, compared to 8 kilos currently. “It’s a very concrete and very important subject. A student who has back pain because of his schoolbag is not a student who will learn properly at school. (…) We know the solutions , It is play on supplies, on textbooks, on digital, on lockers in establishments”, clarified the new Minister of Education on September 3, 2023 on M6. This new project should concern students in primary and secondary school.

What is the ideal weight of a school bag?

In principle, according to the recommendations of the Ministry of National Education, the weight of a schoolbag should not exceed more than 10% of the child’s weight. “Either on average 3.4 kg for an 11-year-old student and 4.4 kg for a 13-year-old student“, specifies the Federation of Parents’ Councils (FCPE). Professionals also require school bags under 4.5 kilos in college.

About the pull-out trolley satchelsSpanish and British researchers determined the maximum weight of a wheeled binder for kids. According to the results published in the review Applied Ergonomics in 2019, these models must not exceed 20% of the child’s weight.

What is the weight of a student’s satchel?

According to a report from the Federation of Parents’ Councils (FCPE)dating from 2018, the average weight of a school bag is 8.5 kgor about 20% of the weight of a student in the 6ᵉ class. “Which would correspond to a 15 kg bag for an adult”, says the organization. Moreover, the weight of the school bag of a schoolboy in 6th grade on average twice as heavy!

What is the average weight of an empty school bag?

Depending on the bag model, an empty school bag can weigh up to 3 kilos. On a wheeled binder, there is the weight of the wheels to add and metal elements such as the handle.

What solution to lighten the weight of the school bag?

For lighten the weight of the students’ school bags and therefore their back, different solutions are to be put in place:

• Opt for a light and ergonomic bag model. It must be adapted to the child’s age, school level and morphology, but also it must be practical and easy to handle.
• Check that the school bag has wide, padded and fitted shoulder strapsa reinforced back or a belt for the waist.
• Every evening, check your child’s school bag and the things he puts in it. Teach him to take the essentials and not overload it.
• Place the heaviest books in the center of the binder and evenly distribute the load for the child.

Teach a child to carry his school bag properly, it is him to avoid pain in the back, especially since he is often still growing. Before carry your bag on your shoulders or put it on the ground, the child must bend both knees and lift the load closer to the body. “Bending over while keeping your legs straight is bad for your back.“, recalls the Ministry of National Education.

“Bending the bust while keeping the legs straight is bad for the back”.

To avoid bending down and as far as possible, the child can hang his satchel up high. It is also important to carry your schoolbag with the two shoulder straps on your shoulders to evenly distribute the weight on your back and keep your back straight. Young people sometimes tend to carry their bag on one side only, which entails risks for the back since the weight is unevenly distributed.

What are the consequences of a bag that is too heavy for the child?

A school bag that is too heavy has consequences for the child’s health. The Ministry of National Education recognizes this itself in a circular of January 2008, and even talks about public health issues. THE consequences are mainly noticeable on the backs of children : risk of scoliosis, respiratory compression, imbalance in walking, etc. Effects that can last into adulthood.