Student Opinion
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBy: Kennedy Settje, a junior at Leigh High School
One of the most annoying things for teachers is when students come to class unprepared. Constantly being burdened with the question “Can I go to my locker?” just makes teachers upset and crabby for the rest of the day.
I believe this is a very avoidable problem, and the simple solution to this is allowing students to carry their bookbags with them throughout the day.
In the past at the old high school, junior high and high school students were allowed to carry bookbags because classrooms were so spread out and time between classes during the passing periods was often too small to stop at a locker when going from a third-floor class to the ag room, for instance.
In our new school, where all the classes are in one hallway, we have transitioned to not using bookbags anymore because students have more time to go to their locker. But I believe that just because they have more time doesn’t mean we should disavow bookbags completely for students who wish to carry them.
There are many benefits to having your school materials with you all day in one spot. Yes, lockers are important too, so you don't have to shove every single book you have into your bag. Having a backpack to carry around the materials you need for each individual class is what students need. Without them, things can become chaotic.
Without bookbags, students must juggle all their materials around from class to class. Holding their textbooks, pencils, pens, AR books, water bottle, folders, ruler, calculator, and a pencil pouch is just an accident waiting to happen.
Incorporating this new rule has already proved to be a mess. With full hands, a student dropped her water bottle, causing a spill all over the floor. Another student dropped a folder and all her papers went everywhere. This proves the beneficial purposes of book bags.
Not only is it not convenient for every student to make a trip to his or her locker every period, but it is also not necessary, especially at Leigh High School. With the short amount of time we get between classes, going from one end of the hallway to the other end, while stopping at your locker to gather every single piece of material you need for that specific class, while also dropping off all your materials that you needed for the period before is unreasonable. Sometimes it’s an easy exchange of materials from one class to the next, but oftentimes it doesn’t work out that way.
Having the privilege to carry backpacks in school would allow students to have everything they need for class and reduce the chances of students being unprepared. Students stress enough about being late for class, and now they have the added stress of worrying about what they left behind. And when students do inevitably forget something, teachers, although they may admonish students for having to go back to their lockers, have no choice but to let them go so they have their materials. This can often times delay the start of class by a few minutes, which is a nuisance to everyone.
All in all, bookbags serve a very good purpose and are meant for students to use to carry their materials from class to class. I believe that it is not hurting anything for students to be able to carry them if they wish.