Published in Dawn on July 2, 2021, "School Bags Should Be 10pc of Body Weight" focused on the growing issue of heavy school bags and the pressure children carry both physically and emotionally through the education system.
In the article, Sobia Rahman, Co-Founder and Program Director of Dr. Sofia's Daycare and Learning Center, shared her concern about how normal it had become for young children to carry extremely heavy bags every day without people questioning the long-term impact on their bodies and mental well-being.
As someone working closely with children, she felt that learning was slowly becoming more about pressure, excessive coursework, and memorisation rather than curiosity or healthy development.
She spoke about how overloaded bags, endless notebooks, and constant testing place unnecessary stress on children at such a young age. Her view was that education should feel meaningful and supportive, not physically exhausting.
She also discussed the need for more practical learning methods, reduced academic overload, and modern approaches that prioritise children's overall well-being alongside education.