The weight of schoolbags in Ireland is "significantly in excess of the recommended level" which is 10 per cent of body weight. This has been established by the ASTI which has just submitted a list of recommendations to the an expert working group established by the Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin, last September to examine the issue.

The union recommends that locker areas should be built into the design of schools; that more classrooms be provided so that there is less need for the movement of students; and school furniture should allow for storage. The ASTI also wants funding to schools for rental schemes, so that books which could be stored in schools when not being used by students.

An awareness of textbook weight could be built into teacher training, says ASTI, as well as in in-career training.