Standards for Schoolbags Introduced to Bag Manufacturers

Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) has developed standards for schoolbags. With the objective of minimizing negative health effects and assuring a high physical quality and durable schoolbags for parents, these standards were finalized by a working group represented by different sectors including paediatricians, community physicians, education authorities, ergonomists, textile engineers and bag manufactures. Major features of a standard schoolbag include; backpack model, two compartments, padded and wide shoulder straps, waist belt, movable buckles and quality raw materials. These bags are specified in five different sizes to match with children body.

 

An awareness meeting for bag manufacturers on new standards was held at the Auditorium of Sri Lanka Standards Institute recently. More than eighty bag manufacturers participated at this workshop.

 

 

Dr. Priyadarshani Talgaswatte, Deputy Director General of SLSI explained the objectives of the workshop and said that the draft standards were even made available for public comments prior to the finalization. She speculated the possibility of making the SLS standards compulsory considering the circumstances in coming years.

 

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, Consultant Community Physician and the chairperson of the Expert Committee on Ergonomics of Sri Lanka Medical Association who pioneered the healthy schoolbag campaign in Sri Lanka described the medical aspects of inclusion of different features of the schoolbag. Dr. Jayaratne functioned as the chairman of the working group on developing standards for schoolbags. He said ergonomic schoolbag is a healthy choice and requested bag manufacturers to make the healthy bag available in the market.

 

Mr. K.D. Bandula, Assistant Education Commissioner of Education Publication Department presented the role of the Ministry of Education in introducing the healthy schoolbag. He said that a new circular will be issued to more popularize the healthy bag among children, parents, teachers and school authorities.

Mrs Chandima Mallawasekara, Assistant Director, SLSI, described in detail different standards introduced for schoolbag. Deputy Director, SLSI, Mr. Wijaya Tissera explained the participants the mechanisms used to control the quality of standards for schoolbags.

 

Mrs. Sujatha Wijesinghe, a leading bag manufacturer, elaborated on maneuvers that can be adopted in producing schoolbags in accordance with new standards.

 

This was the first of a series of bag manufacturer awareness workshops launched by SLSI.