At Benjamin Franklin Middle School, it is required that students carry all of their supplies from class to class instead of carrying a backpack. Most students at BF feel that they constantly forget their supplies for class, and are frequently late to their classes because they have to go to their lockers all the time. If students at BF were allowed to have their backpacks during the school day, all these issues would be resolved.

Students Express The Convenience Of Backpacks

A survey was taken and responses were submitted by students that attend Benjamin Franklin Middle School asking what they thought about the no backpack restriction, and what they think the rule should be. The students’ responses showed a majority of students at Benjamin Franklin think they should be allowed backpacks. One student said, “Backpacks were designed to carry folders, notebooks, or anything a student needs in a day, which is why it makes more sense to have backpacks throughout the day. Backpacks make it easier for students and doesn’t make things as stressful”, another said, “I think we should be allowed to have backpacks the last period of the day especially if we’re being dismissed from gym. I understand it’s inconvenient in some circumstances for the teachers, though for us it makes our life a lot harder without having backpacks and is a lot less convenient for us especially those that take the bus and such”.  This is one of the many examples where students express ideas where backpacks are included because of convenience for not just themselves, but also teachers.

Teachers For Backpacks at BF

Students aren’t the only people who want backpacks at BF. Teachers are constantly being asked by students to go to their lockers to get something. If anything, not having backpacks at school affects teachers negatively because they have to waste time telling the students who were late to class what we’re working on, and more disturbances.

Many students (and teachers) at BF, including myself believe that having backpacks could better the school. Evidence collected from the surveys shows how necessary backpacks are, strengthening the reasoning behind my opinion. Having backpacks could accelerate our learning by spending more time in class, and give us extra time for things like questions, or extended discussion to deepen our understanding of our lessons.

Students Express The Inconvenience Of Lockers

Lockers are doing the job that backpacks were in years past. Students keep their supplies in their lockers instead of carrying their backpacks around the school. This has caused some problems, though. To the question ‘What do you think about the no backpack restriction at BFMS?’, one student answered, “I don’t like it because you have to go back and forth. It makes you take longer to get to where you want to be”. Another said, “I think that the no backpack restriction at BFMS shouldn’t be a thing because going to your locker every period wastes a lot of time and makes many students late”. To the question, ‘ What do you think the rule concerning backpacks should be?’, another student answered, “I believe that we should be able to have backpacks. Sometimes it’s frustrating to have to go back and forth to my locker in between classes to get all of my things”, further proving the inconvenience of lockers in replace of backpacks.

Many students at Benjamin Franklin Middle School believe we should have backpacks, including myself because students constantly forget their supplies for class, and are frequently late to their classes because they have to go to their lockers all the time. If we allowed backpacks during the school day, students and teachers would no longer be negatively impacted by all the inconveniences of lockers and no backpacks.