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[Watch] Smart Tables To The Rescue! Heavy Backpacks Could Be History In This Penang School

[Watch] Smart Tables To The Rescue! Heavy Backpacks Could Be History In This Penang School

The smart table comes with shelves for books, compartments for stationeries and a ledge for the school bag.

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About 214 standard 6 students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Permai, Jalan Tengah in Penang will be the first group to use smart tables to manage the issue of heavy school bags starting next week.

READ MORE: School Bags Shouldn’t Weigh More Than 10% Of The Child’s Weight, Says Study

READ MORE: Heavy School Bags: Education Ministry To Provide Locker Facilities In Primary Schools

Utusan reported that the Smart and Easy Table (SnET) 2.0 was the brainchild of the school’s principal Mohammad Sabarullah.

SK Seri Permai principal Mohammad Sabarullah showing the Smart and Easy Table (SnET) 2.0. Image: Kosmo

Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) Sungai Petani, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Tun Uda (SMKRTU) and Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri (JPN) helped to come up with the design of the tables and chairs.

The table comes with two shelves for books and three side compartments that can be used to store stationeries and a water bottle. The table comes with a chair that has a pull-out ledge or rack to hold the schoolbag.

Mohammad Sabarullah believes that the new tables will trigger students’ excitement to attend school with lighter backpacks.

Initially, 32 smart tables were tested in both morning and afternoon sessions thanks to funds from the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG).

IKM Sungai Petani director Timelow Jauk said the pilot testing phase with the students was a good start.

We’re proud to see the work produced by students in semester four of Diploma in Furniture Production. They worked hard to complete the wood cutting in a week.

IKM Sungai Petani director Timelow Jauk

Heavy school bags have been a longtime problem for students in schools. In one case, the bag was so heavy on a primary school student that they needed help from a schoolmate to carry the bag together.

There were calls to provide lockers to lighten the load of school bags but it hasn’t been feasible due to the lack of funds and spaces in schools.

With this smart table innovation, hopefully, it’ll provide a long-term and space-saving solution in place of school lockers.

READ MORE: [Watch] Mum Praises School Boy For Helping Her Son Carry Heavy Bag Downstairs


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