Protecting your child's schoolbag

Gone are the days of children’s school bags containing nothing but a pencil case, a dog-eared exercise book, the packed lunch leftovers and a pair of sweaty trainers. Research carried out by esure Home Insurance has revealed that the average secondary pupil’s school bag contains possessions worth up to £265, with some of the more affluent teenagers having over £1100 worth of belongings with them. Previous research carried out by another insurance company, Churchill, suggested that UK school children, as a whole, frequently have £4.5 billion worth of items with them.

This is hardly surprising when you consider that 60% of children aged 11 to 16 would not dream of going to school without their mobile phone, whilst 30% take an mp3 player to while away the time on the school bus. 17% of 11 to 16-year-olds are no longer happy kicking a football around the playground at break, preferring instead to have their own hand-held games console such as the Play Station Portable costing just short of £100.

9% have waved goodbye to the paper timetable and diary, kitting themselves out instead with electronic organisers, such as the Compaq iPAQ, adding another £75 or so to the total goodies. Add to that the schoolbag itself, watches and other jewellery, designer label trainers and jackets and you can see what a temptation the average child presents for the criminally minded.

However, there are things that can be done to minimise the risk:

• Make sure that bags are not left lying around in the school canteen, changing rooms, at the bus stop, or on public transport etc.
• If your school bag has locks, make sure you use them.
• Avoid flashy phones and other goods which are an even bigger temptation for thieves.
• Be discreet and don’t tempt the unscrupulous by displaying your latest purchase.
• If your school locker is flimsy, use your own padlock.

Parents should ensure that, if the worst comes to the worst, and items are stolen, that they are covered by their home contents policy. It may cost extra to cover items lost or damaged outside the home but it is money well spent, especially if your child is also going away this year on a school trip.