Comments on: Burdened children

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:40:17 +0000

My DD’s darn text books are twice as large and heavy as mine were! They resemble coffee table books more than traditional texts – tons of pictures and big margins.

By: Frank Zavisca

Frank Zavisca — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:04:46 +0000

Could it be that our children are not being physically conditioned.

Perhaps some exercises could make them less vulnerable to backpacks.

Yet time management sholud perhaps be part of the curriculum – and teachers giving students advice on how to organize their backpacks.

How about a scale in the classroom?

By: lu-lu

lu-lu — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:42:29 +0000

At my jr. high, we were only allowed to go to our lockers at certain times of the day (not between every class). You had to carry materials for at least 2 classes and if you wanted to work on something from another class (review for a test during a break, etc) you had to carry that too. Our textbooks were huge – I routinely carried home a 30 lb backpack plus my band instrument.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:33:35 +0000

NYC Educator said:
“For some reason, though, those backpacks were forbidden when she entered middle school. That seems like a boneheaded policy and I’ve never figured out exactly what the rationale was.”

And why would you expect a rationale for any policy in the modern school system? They adopt intricate mazes of rules, spelled out in excruciating detail, so that no administrator actually has to use common sense or be accountable for their decisions.

By: NYC Educator

NYC Educator — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:07:40 +0000

My kid had a backpack with wheels. For some reason, though, those backpacks were forbidden when she entered middle school. That seems like a boneheaded policy and I’ve never figured out exactly what the rationale was.

By: Lightly Seasoned

Lightly Seasoned — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:43:43 +0000

As a corollary to Mike Curtis’s observation — the kid dragging around the 48-pound bag from class to class is invariably the one who is failing nearly everything.

By: stacy

stacy — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:56:48 +0000

Just adding to my above comment…. Boo frigin hoo.

By: stacy

stacy — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:56:05 +0000

You know, they do make backpacks with little wheels at the bottom that can be pulled around campus.

By: ricki

ricki — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:35:21 +0000

Methinks this is going to be part of the “A Kindle for every Kid” propaganda.

Some of my college students, I will note, use rolling backpacks or rolling cases for their books – but usually only the folks who live far away from campus and walk.

By: Laura K

Laura K — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:22:50 +0000

On the plus side, at least this was a district where the students were actually issued books. That’s not always the case.