Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has examined the weight of school bags been carried to school by children; his views on whether excessive weight been carried on children's backs has the potential to cause injury; if he provides assistance to schools to install locker facilities for school books; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33659/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department issued Circular M35/05 in 2005 to highlight the potential health hazard of overweight schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures that could be put in place to help alleviate the problem. The circular referred to the recommendations of the previously published report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags. This report acknowledged that many of the solutions belong at local school level and made various recommendations in this regard, such as optimum use of storage facilities, developing pupil organisation skills and timetabling.

It is a matter for each individual school to determine which particular measures are most suited to its individual circumstances and to how the school concerned organises teaching and learning. The circular and the report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.