A controversial topic that’s been circulating for years: should students be allowed to have backpacks on them during school hours?
School shootings have been a tragedy the past 30 or so years. The Columbine massacre in 1999, the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, the Santa Fe shooting in 2018. The list, sadly, could go on. In 2023, around 346 school shootings had taken place across the country, calculating to around one incident per day. Around 248 victims were injured or killed. With these tragedies, it raises the controversial topic: Backpacks.
Positives and negatives
Most schools around the country have a rule in their handbook, not allowing students to have backpacks on them during school hours. Backpacks that are carried around throughout the day raise an eyebrow to what could possibly be in the bag. This asks the question: Could backpacks really have a big cause on these tragedies?
Backpacks are known to usually be big and bulky, covering and securing the items inside. It can hold heavy, extravagant items and fit the smaller things inside pockets. Thus, it could possibly hold an armed weapon or a small pocket knife. This could be a potential safety issue.
Do staff and students have the same idea?
Rebecca English, a senior at Colonia High School, thinks students should be allowed to carry backpacks around school. She states, “Backpacks are very accommodating because a lot of students have classes on the other side of the building and their locker might be far away from their class. So it’s just easier to carry your backpack with all your supplies. A lot of girls carry big purses that are equivalent to the size of a backpack.” English elaborates on it’s safety issue, saying “Backpacks could be a safety issue, but there’s no difference between a girl carrying a giant tote bag or a guy wearing a drawstring to having a backpack. You can hide anything in whatever bag.”
Nicole Donoghue, a history teacher at Colonia High School also agrees to students being eligible to carry backpacks with them, but there has to be some guidelines. She says, “They should be mesh or clear and they should be stored in certain areas of the classroom so they’re not a tripping hazard in walkways. If people are worried about prohibited items, then we should have metal detectors. Whatever you could bring in a backpack you could also bring in a purse or drawstring. Carrying backpacks can save time getting to classes instead of students stopping at their locker constantly.”
Can backpacks save lives?
Backpacks have been made out to be a potential threat, but what if some backpacks were made to save lives? In recent years, bulletproof backpacks have made their way into the markets, trying to ensure the protection of students in case of a shooting. These backpacks made their way into stores in 2013, shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut. The prices of these bulletproof backpacks seem to range around $200-$250.
