Manitoba high school students fight to keep backpacks in class

An iconic symbol of student life has become embroiled in controversy at a Winnipeg high school.

Sturgeon Heights Collegiate announced a change in protocols last week, banning backpacks from classrooms in an effort to limit clutter.

School administration issued a bulletin informing students they’d be required to store their bags and coats in their lockers from now on.

Calling it a “backpack ban,” teenagers are lamenting the rules they say are upending routines and making them late for classes.

“It’s really an inconvenience,” said Jayden Strattner-Brown as he walked to school shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

Jayden, 17, said many members of the student body are feeling frustrated and confused by the new directive.

The changes have sparked an online petition — which had garnered 430 supporters as of the final bell Monday — and plans for a walkout.

The change.org petition calls for the return of a “basic right.”

“The wider issue is the stress we are under, racing to each class now,” said Olivia Haussler, a Grade 10 student.

Olivia said some school leaders don’t understand the pressure students are under to be timely or the consequences of missing the start of a lesson.

Students have started running in the hallways in order to retrieve their belongings and get to classes on time, she said, adding, “I am one of the runners.”

Grade 12 student Hunter Mangin is another critic of the new policy. “It’s such a silly thing to put in place,” he said.

As far as Hunter is concerned, backpacks are “school incarnate” and students should be able to use them to carry heavy loads.

“It’s so helpful in day-to-day school life,” the 17-year-old said.

Hunter has relied on a backpack throughout his school career; it helps him organize his binders and ensure his water bottle is always on hand, the teenager said.

He booed the announcement when staff members relayed it to students during an assembly, resulting in a two-day suspension.

Another student brought a shopping cart and cooking pot into the school to protest the changes.

Principal George Valentim was not made available for an interview Monday, but defended the changes in a statement.

“During COVID-19, students were not assigned lockers and were expected to carry their belongings with them to and from classes in order to reduce the risk of viral transmission,” Valentim said.

“In the subsequent years since that practice was put in place, students have once again been assigned lockers, but school administrators are finding that not all students are utilizing their lockers as intended.”

He said teachers have noticed that backpacks and jackets are blocking walkways and creating “tripping and slipping hazards.”

“While we appreciate student concerns regarding locker use, our efforts are geared towards creating a safe, organized, and distraction-free learning environment,” the principal said.

He noted that students have five- to 10-minute breaks between classes to facilitate “safe and orderly transitions.”

Jayden said there’s a disconnect between the school’s messaging: he and his peers are encouraged to use their voices, but their feedback isn’t being taken into account.

“I just want them to take some other options into consideration instead of just banning backpacks, straight-up, out of nowhere,” the Grade 12 student said.

Jayden suggested one solution would be to create designated spots for students to drop their backpacks at the back of classrooms.

This story was originally published in The Free Press. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.