Backpacks in the classroom, do the pros outweigh the cons?

Should students continue to use backpacks in the classroom? The school started using backpacks ever since COVID-19 started to rise in cases. Backpacks made it easy to stay 6 feet away from people way easier during passing time.

With backpacks holding all of our items again this year, people take advantage of the opportunity to store any item they want in them. This could be good or not depending on the circumstances.

People bring medical supplies to the classroom and that could save someone’s life. Nadia Ujlaky, a sophomore from Jenison Highschool, said, “It is safe because people that need medical help have it at their disposal.” Which is not easy without a backpack.

But, backpacks can hold items that should not be in the classroom. Connor Wykoff, a junior at Jenison Highschool, states, “Backpacks would only be unsafe if students brought illegal substances or objects with them and hid them in the backpacks otherwise, they are safe.”  Students need the teacher’s trust to stay out of trouble in school; otherwise, there will be consequences for those who do not have trust built with the teachers.

It just makes life easier. Charisse Ujlaky, a sophomore from Jenison Highschool, justified, “It is helpful to be able to store all of my items in case I want to do other homework for other classes, or I can store snacks in there.” Backpacks help students in one way or the other when it comes to convenience and having everything you need for the whole day at your disposal.

Backpacks keep your school supplies safe from others. With everything being held in one place and kept with you, it reduces the likelihood of your supplies getting stolen or harmed. “They made carrying around lots of books and folders easily, and as well as toting around a laptop without the risk of it becoming harmed,” Connor Wykoff reinforces.

To some people, there is too much trust for people to use their backpacks between classes. There were many cases where students were found and caught using a vape or using other substances in the school bathrooms because they can transfer those items to the bathroom using their backpack unnoticed. Backpacks allow students to hide items they brought from home to school without any consequences for the item until it is found in their backpack.

With the other point being that backpacks allow easy access to your schoolwork and your health-related items, it allows education to be more accessible. With backpacks allowed in the school, students do not need to go to their lockers during the school day, or at all. backpacks allow the ability to hold all the necessary items you need for each class plus more. This space makes it easy to do homework in a different class.

Having backpacks saved me from multiple trips to my locker because I have access to everything I need. Days I have a sore throat are a breeze because I can carry the medicinal supplies with me. Overall, backpacks are easier to use than lockers because of their portability and accessibility.