Covering books. AIBU to think we were had at school in the past

[Hottubtimemachine]

My kids are at senior school and there has not been one mention of covering their books. I remember spending literally HOURS doing this and even got a detention once for not covering my French book.
Why were we made to do this? What was the point? Does anyone still do it? AIBU to think teachers robbed me of hours of my life 😉

It brought back memories for me when my yr8 came home saying she needed to cover her books last week!

Oh god, our school still makes Y7s and 8s do it.

Ridiculous.

Apparently, the exact same books don’t need covering from Y9 onwards, so clearly a time wasting exercise…

It kept text books in better condition.
But as text books are rarely taken home now or even distributed out one to each pupil, probably less point.

I used to LOVE covering my books!

Ah but the fond memories of doing it, matching books, making sure you had enough different wallpapers for each subject

I’ve literally just this minute had to cover dd’s books!

Is it because the books get republished so often to make more money so they don't get handed down.
I used to love covering my books then slowly destroying the cover over the year. My dad was a decorator so he'd always want us to use left over wallpaper , I was delighted the years I could use something plain.

When I was a student we took our books home most days and they would have fallen apart without backing.

Now as a teacher most schools I know insist that books remain in school other than when homework is set. There's not the same wear and tear of books being thrown in bags and lugged around.

Ds had to do his right up until he left high school

I literally had to buy covering today as the only homework this week is covering all books…

When I was at school this was the same but i couldn’t do it at all so I just didn’t bother and no teacher ever pushed on it. Surely in this day and age we shouldn’t be encouraging plastic use? These books get used for the school year then could be recycled … I’m guessing not with plastic covering.

Had to use brown paper, I wasn't very good at it

I used to love backing my books, I used wallpaper, wrapping paper, and posters.

My DS has not had to do this yet.

I used to envy those who could neatly cover books in Fablon, I always made a mess of it.

I bought sticky-back plastic specially for DS to start secondary school. Now I have three rolls and no use for them

I hated it.

We were piss poor so my mam used to make us use off cuts of wallpaper- not the wood chip but almost as bad, and I always made a pigs arse of it.

I could understand if it was just textbooks, but we had to do our exercise books as well- what was the point of that?!?

I remember having to cover books in paper. The posh kids had wrapping paper from Athena. I had a roll of wallpaper 😂

My kids don't get text books.
Go figure.

We had to cover our exercise books. Pointless I agree.

I used posters of blur that my friends and I drew all over, I think they are still in the attic.

Yeah I only remember wrapping exercise books. What on earth was the point?!

It was so much fun! I used to love doing it.

I cover my mark book and more book.
I asked my Yr9 class to do it this week.

I may go and crawl back under my 1990s rock now!

DD is going to have to do this. Totally pointless. I"m feeling grumpy about it (think it's going to be this weekend's homework).

DS has several exercise books which have to be covered (he hands them to me as I love doing it).

I remember covering my exercise books at school- just why?

I teach secondary now and we don't ask pupils to cover books.

Our textbooks are covered in sticky back plastic to reduce wear and tear.

I remember having to do this in French lessons, but not science or maths. I used garish holographic wrapping paper.