Can desks and chairs "grow" with them? , the children are taller

Xinhua Perspective | Children are getting taller, can desks and chairs grow with them?

Nowadays, the average height of children is getting taller, but the desks and chairs in some schools have not grown along with it.

"Xinhua Viewpoint" reporters found in interviews that due to reasons such as the lagging national standards for desks and chairs, desks and chairs do not match the height of students in many places; the phenomenon of "under-matched" desks and chairs has become a "growing pains" for children ”, which virtually increases health risks such as myopia and hunchback.

Mr. Zhang, a parent of a sophomore high school student in Shanxi, attended a parent-teacher meeting not long ago and found that the desks and chairs in the classroom were uncomfortable. "I am less than 1.8 meters tall, so I have to bend down and bend my legs, which is very uncomfortable. Many boys in the class are taller than me, and I have to sit for seven or eight hours every day." Mr. Zhang said.

The reporter's interview found that the mismatch between primary and secondary school desks and chairs and the height of students is common. Teacher Liang from the high school department of a middle school in Guangdong told reporters that the desks and chairs used by the three grades in the school's high school department are the same model. The height of the desks is about 80 centimeters, and they are all fixed. Xiao, a sophomore in high school, said that he is 1.9 meters tall and the height of the desks and chairs is not suitable. “It’s uncomfortable to sit, my legs can’t be straightened, and my back will be hunched.”

In recent years, schools in many areas have replaced adjustable desks and chairs for students, but the problem of untimely adjustment is more prominent. A primary school teacher in an eastern province said that the six grades in the school use the same model of adjustable desks and chairs, and the school adjusts them uniformly every semester; “The desks and chairs in a class are all of the same height and will not be used individually for a single student. Adjustment."

In addition to the height of the table and chair, the design of the desk drawer also causes trouble for some students. Chen Zhongling, a researcher at the Beijing Dongcheng District Education Science Research Institute, said that because the desk drawer is too small, many students can only place their schoolbags upright in front of the chair back, resulting in a lack of support for their waist and back, making it difficult for them to maintain a healthy sitting posture for a long time; there is not enough space under the desk drawer, so some students have to sit sideways or stretch their legs outside the desk, which leads to bad sitting posture.

Guo Xin, director of the school health center at the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that to judge whether the height of desks and chairs meets the height of a child, you can check whether the child's sitting posture meets the "three 90 degrees", that is, the upper arm and forearm are at 90 degrees, and the upper body and thigh are at 90 degrees. The thighs and calves are at 90 degrees.

The recommended national standard "Functional Dimensions and Technical Requirements for School Desks and Chairs" released in 2014 stipulates 11 models of desks and chairs and the matching height range of suitable sitters. A 2021 sample survey of 660 primary and secondary schools in a central province showed that less than 20% of desks and chairs met national standards.

Experts such as Mao Lu, deputy chief physician of the Spine Surgery Center of Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, pointed out that desks and chairs that are too high or too short will cause bad sitting postures and may increase the risks of myopia, scoliosis, hunchback, etc.

Teachers at Huilong Primary School in Liwan District, Guangzhou are helping students adjust their desks and chairs.

There are many reasons why desks and chairs do not match the height of students.

It is understood that the national standard for desks and chairs has been revised several times. The latest version was released in 2014, which is 10 years ago, and there is a certain lag.

The results of the Eighth National Student Physique and Health Survey released by the Ministry of Education in 2021 show that compared with 2014, the national students aged 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, and 19-22 in 2019 The height of boys increased by 0.52, 1.26, 1.69, 0.95, and 0.81 cm respectively, while the height of girls increased by 0.72, 1.24, 0.97, 0.80, and 0.62 cm respectively.

A survey organized by Shenzhen City in 2019 showed that some local middle school students are over 190 centimeters tall. The national standard maximum number 0 desks and chairs can no longer meet the needs of these students. Therefore, the local government added 0 to the latest procurement standards. No. desks and chairs.

People in the education sector said that although the country has relevant standards for desks and chairs, in the actual implementation process, many schools have limited funds and it is difficult to replace all desks and chairs that meet the requirements in the short term.

The person in charge of a large desk and chair manufacturing company said that the reason why schools like fixed desks and chairs is that they are cheaper and more durable, and the ex-factory price is only a few dozen yuan. In comparison, adjustable desks and chairs are much more expensive. A procurement results announcement last year by Fuzhou Gulou Fifth Central Primary School showed that the school purchased a total of 165 sets of adjustable desks and chairs at a total cost of 82,170 yuan, with a unit price of 498 yuan per set.

Many interviewees pointed out that desks and chairs cannot match the height of students, and another important reason is that school management cannot keep up. An education department official said frankly that although many schools have replaced adjustable tables and chairs, their subsequent maintenance and management cannot keep up, and the heights are not adjusted in a timely manner.

According to the "School Health Work Regulations", the health administrative department has the responsibility to supervise school desks and chairs. The person in charge of a health administrative department in a central area told reporters that the department has a small number of people and many things to do. Every on-site inspection at the school focuses on the prevention and control of infectious diseases, and desks and chairs are not the focus.

Making desks and chairs more "fitting" requires multiple efforts

Desks and chairs may seem like a small matter, but they are related to the healthy growth of every child. Making desks and chairs more "fitting" and creating a more comfortable learning environment for children requires multiple efforts.

The reporter learned that in order to make students' desks and chairs more "fitting", many places are actively carrying out relevant work.

Dai Xiuwen, director of the Guangzhou Primary and Secondary School Health Promotion Center, said that Guangzhou has integrated the hygiene requirements for desks and chairs into school doctor training courses and standardized and guided the adjustment of desks and chairs in each class. "The compliance rate for students' desks and chairs must reach more than 80%; when a student has two suitable desks and chairs, the larger one should be given priority to leave room for height growth; if the height, weight and other physical characteristics are obviously abnormal, Students should try their best to solve the problem by customizing special models of desks and chairs.”

People from education departments in many places suggested that publicity and education should be strengthened to raise the whole society's awareness of the importance of healthy use of desks and chairs; regions with conditions should increase financial investment and equip primary and secondary schools with adjustable desks and chairs as soon as possible. At the same time, relevant standards for desks and chairs should be updated in a timely manner to keep up with the growth of students' height.

"Innovation should be encouraged, the design and technology of desks and chairs should be continuously improved, and more scientific and useful desks and chairs should be designed for students." Chen Zhongling said that desks that can be adjusted in height without tools or professional operations can be designed chair, and a table with a more scientific and reasonable design.

Many interviewees pointed out that the education department should strengthen guidance on the procurement and supporting management of school desks and chairs, and include the provision of desks and chairs in the assessment; the health department should do daily monitoring and random inspections, consolidate responsibilities, and timely discover problems and urge rectification.