School bag - what type

[2childmum]

The newest two schools in Bucks both have lockers [as do nearly all the others] - the metal ones look very smart.

It's something students need to use the school council to petition for - no excuse for not having them these days.

In one school I know they have petitioned until the cows come home - still no lockers. The old building did have them, but none in the new.

[Eccentric]

I am of the opinion that if we want our young people to treat us well we need to treat them well. This includes things like; providing them with lockers, providing them for a place to go at break time when it is raining or cold or hot, providing them with a chair and table at which they can eat their lunch, speaking to them respectfully, starting with the assumption that they are doing something right and not wrong, allowing them to voice their opinions... the list goes on.

[Guest55]

In one school I know they have petitioned until the cows come home - still no lockers. The old building did have them, but none in the new.

Then parents need to get involved - lugging huge bags on stairs is a health and safety hazard. It is bad for backs and the chance of knocking people with bags and then them falling down the stairs is high.

Eccentric - I agree - if students are treated as human beings and spoken to - not shouted at - they respond appropriately.

[buzzybee]

Well we have a 'Hype' rucksack. Bought last year as a birthday present as it was a desirable label bag Have to say it has lasted very well so far, very robust and good straps so no backache. It's quite bright with pandas, flamingos and such like on it and it never gets lost.

Lockers - don't get me started £10 fee per year for usage which is fair enough but dd hardly uses hers as it's not in a block that she goes to very often and so she often stores her stuff in her boyfriend's locker which is in a more central place. However, when a teacher found out (albeit 6 months later) she got prep! Hopefully now she might use her own.......

Previous school she was at was a very big school and they had no lockers whatsoever so the pupils had to carry around with them everything (including PE kit on the days they had it).

[Proud_Dad]

Talk to your DC about only taking what they need for that day and then leaving textbooks at school if they don't need them for homework.

Textbooks? What are they?

I assume from your comment that some schools do still use them, but DS's school only seem to use printed sheets of paper which inevitable get lost or damaged. I only wish he had the problem of carrying too many text books around in his bag!

[ToadMum]

Talk to your DC about only taking what they need for that day and then leaving textbooks at school if they don't need them for homework.

Textbooks? What are they?

I assume from your comment that some schools do still use them, but DS's school only seem to use printed sheets of paper which inevitable get lost or damaged. I only wish he had the problem of carrying too many text books around in his bag!

Ours use those plastic document wallets with the elastic closure (either 'full length' or fitting across the corners) to put stray pieces of paper, homework etc in. This works reasonably well, although I still find the odd crucial form in a pocket, folded into four . Or eight. At the moment, though, I would put up with finding the medical form for DD's next school trip origamied into an entire bevy of Japanese swans, if only she would actually remember to bring the wretched thing home.