To hate bloody book bags?

[Rainallnight]

Why are book bags a thing? They are annoying, uncomfortable to carry and can’t sensibly hold anything else. Which means I end up carrying them plus whatever other bag is needed for DCs’ bits and pieces.

Why can’t reading books be put in an ordinary backpack? Is there something I’m missing?

@Heyiam

Genuine question.. those that are claiming there’s not enough space for backpacks if yr 4 or younger, surely there is a chair for each child that the backpack could be hung on? Also if a school has the room the host a p.e bag all the time bar half term when they are sent home to be washed it would be a fair presumption going by responses on this thread that parents would rather go in with a rucksack everyday and use the p.e hook than negotiate the school run with book bag lunch bag water bottle plus w.e else separately. For all the teachers / ta’s saying book bags are easier, there’s plenty of things that would make my job easier unfortunately I still have to do it the hard way. Suck it up. Putting 30 books in 30 rucksacks isn’t worth getting worked up about surely?

In primary school children often don’t sit in the same seat all day long. They might have one seat for English and a different seat for maths depending on their grouping/ability, then a third seat for mixed ability work or other subjects. Primary aged pupils moving around the classroom are likely to knock rucksacks off the back of chairs. It’s really not practical for young children to keep rucksacks on the back of chairs in the classroom.

Book bags are flat and rectangular so they all stack into one container, for the teacher, TA or other helper to easily go through them all at once, putting in letters or pulling out books to change them.

I appreciate there are things that are difficult about your job. For school staff, a lot is about saving time. It’s not that it’s “difficult” to put letters in 30 rucksacks or change reading books in 30 rucksacks in the cloakroom, it’s that it takes double the time or more, which is time taken away from that adult being with the children. In a primary school classroom there is literally not a minute to spare, not a minute unaccounted for.

There's a couple of solid reasons behind the madness. In my school, if every kid brought a rucksack there'd be no place for them. They have one peg each, in a zigzag orientation, on which to hang their coats and rucksacks could only go there. If there were 30 rucksacks the coats would forever be sliding onto the floor, plus children would then have to rummage around near the pegs and bags to retrieve their book, which takes much longer than simply popping them in their assigned tray for easy access during the day.

@Heyiam

Genuine question.. those that are claiming there’s not enough space for backpacks if yr 4 or younger, surely there is a chair for each child that the backpack could be hung on? Also if a school has the room the host a p.e bag all the time bar half term when they are sent home to be washed it would be a fair presumption going by responses on this thread that parents would rather go in with a rucksack everyday and use the p.e hook than negotiate the school run with book bag lunch bag water bottle plus w.e else separately. For all the teachers / ta’s saying book bags are easier, there’s plenty of things that would make my job easier unfortunately I still have to do it the hard way. Suck it up. Putting 30 books in 30 rucksacks isn’t worth getting worked up about surely?

Space for a backpack on the back of a chair? Madness.

Several reasons:

1. They'd forever be falling off, causing a trip hazard on the floor.
2. When kids change seats for different lessons, they'd have to faff around with their bag.
3. They'd find excuses to faff around with their bag just seated at the table
4. I've got as many kids as humanly possible crammed into my classroom. If all of them had a bulky backpack on the back of their chairs, there'd be no space to walk between them.

Get a rucksack big enough to put your DCs book bag into as well.

It's just a way to keep school library books and reading books parents sign & make notes in (and any spelling cards etc) together so they don't get lost. And they fit into trays at school as these books are read with teacher or TA at school too. It's just a flexible folder really with a handle.

Ah I see, you're school had COVID rules in about backpacks atm

That doesn't stop you bringing backpacks for DCs. You can get out and they carry if you're walking . Or you shove them all into yours in your back or under the buggie if you have little ones.

Rules will change back in time as DCs need a bag to take other stuff for school 1. Gloves scarves hats raincoats in for gold weather 2. Packed lunch and water bottles 3. It Helps to have separate book bags (to fit in bigger bag) to keep those books etc together

www.alamy.com/stock-photo-school-children-unpacking-their-bags-in-a-classroom-munich-bavaria-87483438.html

I wonder why English (or British? Or Uk? Is this a problem in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or just England?) primary school classrooms are so overcrowded that there's no room for children to carry a practical backpack properly packed with an A4 folder for letters and worksheets and keep this by their desk, as they do in other countries...

Not being permanently at the desk is a complete red herring - they're not permanently by their tray either!

There's space at the front of German classrooms for every child and the teacher to put their chair in a circle to sit, whilst still having the desks set up with room for proper backpacks by each desk. As children walk to school without parents nobody carries multiple different awkward bags and seperate items for them, everything fits in their school backpack. Nothing gets crumpled because German primary school teachers value neatness and order above all else (not that that last part is actually a good thing imo).

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

www.alamy.com/stock-photo-school-children-unpacking-their-bags-in-a-classroom-munich-bavaria-87483438.html

I wonder why English (or British? Or Uk? Is this a problem in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or just England?) primary school classrooms are so overcrowded that there's no room for children to carry a practical backpack properly packed with an A4 folder for letters and worksheets and keep this by their desk, as they do in other countries...

Not being permanently at the desk is a complete red herring - they're not permanently by their tray either!

There's space at the front of German classrooms for every child and the teacher to put their chair in a circle to sit, whilst still having the desks set up with room for proper backpacks by each desk. As children walk to school without parents nobody carries multiple different awkward bags and seperate items for them, everything fits in their school backpack. Nothing gets crumpled because German primary school teachers value neatness and order above all else (not that that last part is actually a good thing imo).

They’re not permanently by their tray, but things tucked away in a tray are safe and secure and stored away whereas they seat is being used by two or three other children at different points during the day.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

www.alamy.com/stock-photo-school-children-unpacking-their-bags-in-a-classroom-munich-bavaria-87483438.html

I wonder why English (or British? Or Uk? Is this a problem in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or just England?) primary school classrooms are so overcrowded that there's no room for children to carry a practical backpack properly packed with an A4 folder for letters and worksheets and keep this by their desk, as they do in other countries...

Not being permanently at the desk is a complete red herring - they're not permanently by their tray either!

There's space at the front of German classrooms for every child and the teacher to put their chair in a circle to sit, whilst still having the desks set up with room for proper backpacks by each desk. As children walk to school without parents nobody carries multiple different awkward bags and seperate items for them, everything fits in their school backpack. Nothing gets crumpled because German primary school teachers value neatness and order above all else (not that that last part is actually a good thing imo).

The U.K. has the highest primary school class sizes in Europe

www.statista.com/statistics/1078190/students-per-class-in-europe/

I take a tote bag (cloth bag with long straps that can go over my shoulder) to pick up, use it for water bottle, jumper, random artworks DD comes out with.

I try to get her to carry her own book bag but if needs must I thread the tote bag handle through the book bag handle so I'm still hands free and the book bag sits on top of the tote bag.

@Heyiam

Genuine question.. those that are claiming there’s not enough space for backpacks if yr 4 or younger, surely there is a chair for each child that the backpack could be hung on? Also if a school has the room the host a p.e bag all the time bar half term when they are sent home to be washed it would be a fair presumption going by responses on this thread that parents would rather go in with a rucksack everyday and use the p.e hook than negotiate the school run with book bag lunch bag water bottle plus w.e else separately. For all the teachers / ta’s saying book bags are easier, there’s plenty of things that would make my job easier unfortunately I still have to do it the hard way. Suck it up. Putting 30 books in 30 rucksacks isn’t worth getting worked up about surely?

No way could we hang backpacks on chairs. The classrooms are also only just big enough for the children. The chairs and tables are already close together. Add a backpack and we wouldn't be able to walk behind them at all as the space between rows and table groups would be even worse. Means er couldn't circulate to monitor and mark work as we go, children couldn't easily get up and down to do stuff etc.

Remember the issue with no social distancing being possible in many of our classrooms? We weren't joking. Space really slid that tight. It's be even worse than having them in the very tight cloakrooms.

@Rainallnight

So if it’s the case that there isn’t enough room at school for backpacks, how come it seems that it’s ok in the older years?

The junior school beat out infants (two totally separate schools) has proper cloakrooms with benches under seats, as offshoots from the corridor. They simply have a bit more room than we do.

Beat should say near

They used to drive me crazy. Had to be the school logo ones which were awful, the velcro didn't stick properly so they flapped open and with a 20-30 min walk across muddy country meaning they had to go in wellies and carry school shoes, drink, packed lunch (before free lunches) etc. I would just put the book bag in a small rucksack on their backs.

Some rucksacks are very small like these decathlon ones but better for their backs and they forget they are carrying them rather than the awful swinging that they did when carrying a book bag which inevitability would sometimes be too far when carried away with their friends and end up with stuff in the mud.

I don't know why TAs and teachers are swapping books, mine always chose their own and put their own notices in the bags. They all just sat on the carpet before hometime and letters were handed out which they put in their bag. I did help my youngest when he was in nursery but he was very particular about which book he would read next. To be fair, the Biff, Chip and Kipper books did make much more sense when read in order.

DD2 couldn't carry hers for the first year, she was so small it dragged on the ground! She has to take her own soap/hand gel/cream due to allergies, always have gloves, hat and a coat with her (allergies) even on days when it is mild in the mornings. A drink which when put into the book bag drags it down and the Velcro wasn't strong enough to keep it shut. Reading book and record, a fold up shopping bag for the random days she has to bring home extra shit from school.
PE kit home for a wash every Friday, if it's a muddy day she wears wellies then changes into school shoes in the playground. Needs a snack every day. It was ridiculous so I just sent her with a backpack as well and gradually stopped sending the book bag at all.

Oh and one day a week she had a packed lunch because the dinner option was 🤢🤢🤢.
Thankfully not a problem this term, they've changed the menu.

DDs school don't allow backpacks until year 3, bookbags only until then. They were a nightmare as DD needed to take a bag with a complete change of clothes for YR and Y1, plus PE bag (both stayed at school somewhere), then lunchbox etc.

I have no idea how we managed without her backpack, everything goes in...just getting DD to carry it is another thing though.

They used as they fit into the trays. I find they perfect for her books to read and best of all fit over me perfectly on walk back. Never heard anyone in real life hate them. My dd is five and I noticed the older ones got rucksack s as they take lunch and pencil cases. The book bag perfect for the little ones until the next stage

Bookbags were a massive pain when mine were at primary school. Trying to carry them plus homework projects, drinks bottle and swimming kit was just awkward for a small 5 year old. I never carried them either - I had 3 of my own plus extras if we had playdates or nephews.

This is an interesting thread for 2 reasons:

• bags banned due to covid (bonkers! Who risk assessed this?!)
• most parents are saying bookbags are a massive inconvenience and they don't like them. Teaching staff like them because they are convenient to put notes in. Surely the compromise is email and rucksacks?

In the school I volunteer in all classrooms have trays, in KS1 they all have book bags and put their bag into their trays and letters or books go into the tray. The tray should be empty at the end of the day. Very easy visual check to make sure they have everything they should have.

In KS2 they have lockers, there is more space as the children are bigger size wise. The lockers are off the floor so wellies can be stored underneath, the children are tall enough to reach the top lockers.

In KS1 I would spend time picking up coats (always hung up by their hoods so easy to be swiped off) off the cloakroom floor that had been walked over by other children and find their pegs. Difficult if the coat is not labelled. All that is on the hook is a PE kit and a coat. There just isn't room to give over to a cloakroom when they need space in a classroom.

You cannot have bags in classrooms unless the school has been purpose built in the last 10 years. As an adult I struggle to fit my legs between chair backs as not every child pulls their chair all the way in, I have to kneel at tables as there are no free table spaces in a 30 pupil classroom.

You can buy bookbags with a shoulder strap if you as a parent wish to carry it. I am not a pack horse so never did carry it. If parents' evening every becomes face to face again, ask your child to show you their cloakroom.

I don’t mind them. My son’s has a plastic zip folder within it to store all books, paperwork, reading diaries etc. There’s space for his gloves, hat, jumper. The only thing I have to carry is his water bottle provided he’s wearing his coat!

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

www.alamy.com/stock-photo-school-children-unpacking-their-bags-in-a-classroom-munich-bavaria-87483438.html

I wonder why English (or British? Or Uk? Is this a problem in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or just England?) primary school classrooms are so overcrowded that there's no room for children to carry a practical backpack properly packed with an A4 folder for letters and worksheets and keep this by their desk, as they do in other countries...

Not being permanently at the desk is a complete red herring - they're not permanently by their tray either!

There's space at the front of German classrooms for every child and the teacher to put their chair in a circle to sit, whilst still having the desks set up with room for proper backpacks by each desk. As children walk to school without parents nobody carries multiple different awkward bags and seperate items for them, everything fits in their school backpack. Nothing gets crumpled because German primary school teachers value neatness and order above all else (not that that last part is actually a good thing imo).

Great! We'll rebuild all the Primary schools then because I've never been in one that has this much room.

Plus those kids in bavaria are clearly juniors. book bags are largely for infants.
Protecting books is important.

I loathe book bags.

In our class ( I'm a TA) the trays get completely stuck as there is so much stuffed inside the book bags, that are then forced inside the trays.

If I had a pound each day for every child
who has asked me to help them
to open their tray I would be a very rich lady!

www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/phased-reopening-in-german-schools-as-classes-judged-unlikely-covid-19-hotspots-1.4320983

If we’re talking about German classrooms, admittedly I am quite clumsy but I look at this photo and wince at the trip hazards. The aisles between the desks aren’t clear and the teacher can’t circulate freely without picking her way across (Covid limiting movement aside). Is every child going to pick up their bag and take it with them in the event of a fire drill or are those pathways going to remain blocked?

@Iloveallofthem

I loathe book bags.

In our class ( I'm a TA) the trays get completely stuck as there is so much stuffed inside the book bags, that are then forced inside the trays.

If I had a pound each day for every child
who has asked me to help them
to open their tray I would be a very rich lady!

That's why I kept them all in a box, the TA put them in register order while I did the register. By the time I retired we had dispensed with individual drawers anyway as they only accumulated crap.

The only downside with book bags for me was the velcro flaps which were death to tights. When they introduced flaps over the names that added another time waster undoing them all to find the name.