Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to implement the recommendations of the working group report on the weight of school bags; her plans to tackle the problem of students carrying heavy school bags; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23394/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Report of a working group to examine potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July, 1998, acknowledged that many of the solutions belong at local school level. One of the main recommendations of the report related to the need to heighten the awareness of the potential health hazards posed by excessively heavy schoolbags. In this regard, my Department initiated an awareness-raising campaign by disseminating the report, with an accompanying circular, to all primary and post-primary schools.

A further circular was issued in 2005, again highlighting the potential health hazard of heavy schoolbags and outlining a range of local measures that could be adopted in order to alleviate the problem. It is a matter for each individual school to choose those measures that would be most suited to its individual needs.

My Department is aware that positive action has been taken by many schools. Actions taken at second level consist of a range of measures, including the provision of lockers, the arrangement of the timetable into double class periods, active liaison with parents and the co-ordination of homework by subject teachers.