Have you ever felt the pain of carrying pounds of weight on your back for hours? It is not just you. Thousands of kids carry hefty backpacks. Having no lockers and heavy backpacks, with supplies such as textbooks and homework, leads to inevitable back and shoulder pain from the weight of school supplies. 

Schools and districts should supply students with a place to store school supplies, like lockers.

Lockers have been around since 1848, so why get rid of them now? The original purpose of lockers was to keep personal belongings safe in school, and since students now use phones and laptops in schools, lockers are more crucial than ever. People say students can just leave electronics and items of personal importance at home. Students may need their electronics if they encounter a dangerous situation at school, on the way to school, or home. 

The strain students’ backs go through in an average school day is unbelievable. These backpacks can weigh from twelve to thirty pounds, plus the fact that some walk a mile to school or bus stops. The weight of students’ backpacks has given students aches and pains, which are preventable. Providing students with lockers or a place to store supplies would relieve the weight carried. With this, textbooks, pencil pouches, running shoes, umbrellas, and lunchboxes could be kept out of backpacks, and most importantly, off students’ backs.

Lockers have been frowned upon, as students have taken advantage of them and stored harmful instruments. But if defensive measures are taken, students can have lockers while keeping everyone safe. For example, districts could implement student locker inspections. These locker inspections would be done at random by educators or other school personnel.

Students need a place to store school supplies to lessen the weight on their backs, both literally and figuratively. High school students carry many things throughout their day, and because of this, schools should provide a place to store school supplies.