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BURSTOW TACKLES SCHOOLS MINISTER OVER NEED FOR ACTION ON CHILDHOOD BACK PAIN
June 7, 2008 12:00 AM
Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Burstow, organised a delegation from the charity BackCare to meet with Schools Minister Jim Knight in Westminster this week (Tuesday 3rd June) to lobby for action to tackle childhood back pain caused by poor school furniture and design.
Studies have found that around 13 percent of children aged between 10 and 16 suffer from significant recurrent back pain. Back pain in adult life is the second most common cause of work absence and costs the economy £11.6 billion a year. With childhood obesity rates rocketing across the country and projected to rise still further schools have a critical role to play. It is not just health that suffers as a result of back pain so do exam scores, research has found that better school furniture can improve concentration contributing to significantly improved grades.
Mr Burstow and his delegation asked the Minister to consider a four point plan to improve the back care of children and young people:
- That new schools are designed from the inside out with furniture and lockers being amongst the first considerations not an afterthought
- That when new schools are being designed at a minimum school furniture should comply with the latest standard
- That the new duty on school Governors to promote pupil wellbeing be used to promote physical health including back awareness
- That as part of OFSTED judgement on school's protection of health Inspectors should consider issues such as school policy on schoolbags, storage/locker facilities and classroom furniture.
Commenting after the meeting Paul Burstow MP said: "We had a positive meeting with the Minister. He has committed to finding ways of ensuring the need for better classroom furniture and back health are fed into the planning stage of new schools. It was clear that just seeking the meeting had helped to raise awareness and kickstart work in the Department.
"With the Government committing huge sums of taxpayers money to building new schools it makes sense to tackle health issues like back pain at an early stage in the design. That is why we want the Minister to ensure that schools are designed from the inside out."
ENDS
Notes to editor
STATISTICS: Repeated studies in the last 10 years show that 13% of children aged between 10 to 16 suffer from significant recurrent back pain and this rises to adult rates of 21% by the age of 16. (Jones et al, 2001). Back pain and spinal damage consequential to bad posture frequently continues to adulthood with medical intervention sought by 15% of children up to 15 years of age (Alan Gardner & Liz Kelly, 2006). Forty percent of absenteeism in the workplace is due to back pain.
Obesity rates: England (London in brackets): in 2006/07 9.9% (11.3%) reception aged children rising to 17.5% (20.8%) year 6 children.
RESEARCH: According to a recent Finnish study, provision of adjustable tables and chairs, and correct posture training resulted in children achieving significantly better academic grades (Haninen & Koskelo). Similarly another study in Germany showed that provision of furniture which encouraged dynamic postures, allowing children to adopt dynamic sitting and alternative standing postures greatly improved their concentration levels and attention span and hence improved their academic achievements (Berithecker, 2003).
The average spend for a chair and a desk per pupil in Western Europe is £250-300, in the UK the figure is £36-40. According to BESA, no Western European country will purchase fixed height UK school furniture. For new build schools furniture budget is part of the building budget and it consequently gets raided and, on average, only half the initial sum allocated to furniture is actually spent on furniture.
HEALTHY SCHOOLS: All day long, children carry too heavy, badly designed bags worn on one shoulder, resulting in long term back and shoulder problems. Appropriate lockers should be provided together with guidance on maximum weight recommendations (less than 15% of body weight) and well-designed schoolbags.
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