MUSCAT: The ministry said the Omani/GCC Standard (OS GSO 2656) sets unified quality and safety requirements for school backpacks, with the aim of protecting students’ spinal and muscular health and raising safety awareness among parents and children.

Under the standard, a school backpack should not weigh more than 10 percent of the child’s body weight. It should also have wide, padded and adjustable shoulder straps and a padded back panel to reduce pressure on the back.

The standard also calls for backpacks to be made from safe and environmentally friendly materials and to have multiple compartments to help distribute the load evenly.
In terms of size and fit, the backpack should cover the child’s upper back down to the lower rib cage and should not extend below the waist.