The posture training video I saw was clearly useless. But beyond that lies the sad irony that the students forced to view it were almost certainly sitting in chairs and at desks pretty much guaranteed to promote poor posture. Most schools today use standardized furniture that makes no allowance for students' different sizes and shapes, furniture chosen to save a few dollars and make them easy for the custodial staff to stack and move.
Moreover, they likely were forced, because of heavier and heavier textbooks, to carry overloaded backpacks to and from school - backpacks that distort their young spines in ways that may well cause them serious physical problems later in life. Amazingly enough, some new schools are being build with no storage lockers - presumably to prevent drugs being stored - so these packs have to be carried from class to class as well.
Neither the dreadful school furniture or the way to heavy loads would ever be tolerated in the workplace. Government regulations, union pressure and the compelling threat of lawsuits insure that adult workers are not subjected to the harmful conditions our school kids are faced with.
If you are a parent, I urge you to take a close look at those conditions. Try carrying a backpack that weighs as much, relative to your own body weight, as the one your kid carries. You may need to use two packs to get enough weight. Take a look at the school furniture your child has to use. If at all possible do so during an actual class so you can observe how students deal with it. Be sure to sit at a desk yourself for at least one class period.
You may be amazed - and appalled - at what you discover. Hopefully you will be motivated to bring pressure on your local school board to issue spare textbooks that can stay at home and to make desks and chairs of different sizes available in classroom.
Your kids will thank you.
