Video Clip Shows Students Using Laundry Baskets And Shopping Carts After Backpack Ban In Idaho Schools

Oct 04, 2021 by apost team

It goes without saying that there are a few flaws in the American education system. Some schools have started banning specific topics and moments in history, preventing children from learning to their fullest potential. While plenty of parents have the opportunity to enroll their students in free education from elementary school up until high school, that luxury typically goes away once students enter college, and they are usually forced to fork up thousands upon thousands of dollars up front or take that money out through a hefty loan, just to pay for their education.

The years 2020 and 2021 have certainly been different for students as many had to adapt to remote or online learning environments in order to keep up with mandatory health regulations during the pandemic. One thing that unfortunately doesn’t seem to be changing though is the amount of weapons students bring into school.

With an amendment clearly stating that people have the right to bear arms, it’s been difficult for legislators and officials to pass laws banning guns from all public locations, specifically in more rural environments. School shootings are sadly not just something children witness on television, but plenty of schools don’t do as much as they could to prevent them from happening. 

In late September 2021, several schools in Idaho banned their students from using backpacks anymore after a student was found with a gun in hers. A TikTok video showcasing the students’ creativity in picking their new tools for carrying their school supplies has since been released and is taking the world by storm.

On Sept. 29, 2021, the Daily Mail reported that students in the Jefferson School District in Idaho have been finding some pretty creative solutions to their schools’ recent backpack ban. The ban was announced on Sept. 23 following an incident with a 13-year-old student at Rigby Middle School who was found with a gun in her backpack. Since then, students have not been allowed to carry backpacks on school grounds, including around the hallways at school and on their way to and from school.

According to East Idaho News, the student was taken into custody after being found with a gun in the school’s bathroom. She had brought it to the middle school by keeping it in her backpack. Fortunately no shots were fired and the school considered the incident a serious threat.

It’s clear that the safety of students, teachers, faculty members and staff are in jeopardy at institutions that don’t take these kinds of threats seriously. Even some places that are well-prepared have unfortunately had to tackle dangerous situations. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there were 75 school shootings in the United States during both the 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020 school years that resulted in either injuries or casualties.

With such a prevalent need for safety precautions to be put in place, it makes sense for schools to do whatever they can to keep their students, staff and faculty protected at all costs. However, the Jefferson School District has redirected the initial problem, and found what many students consider to be an interesting solution. 

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According to the Daily Mail, the school district decided to place a ban on backpacks to prevent students from carrying weapons in them in the future. On Sept. 23, 2021, Jefferson School District spokeswoman Monica Pauley said, “We are doing this is a precautionary measure.” The new rule applies to two middle schools and two high schools in the area. However, the rule didn’t classify what students should use in place of standard backpacks.

Students have since been carrying their books, pens and other school supplies in a plethora of random items to get around the new backpack ban. Savannah Bagley, a student at Rigby High, has shared several videos on TikTok showcasing what students’ lives look like at school nowadays with the backpack ban in place. 

Some of the students’ new hilarious carriers included shopping carts, coolers, wagons, laundry baskets and even traffic cones. Other students even used a child’s stroller, a microwave and a popcorn machine. It’s evident that the students have found some ingenious ways to mock the school district’s backpack ban. 

Bagley’s TikTok from Sept. 24, 2021, has garnered more than 3.8 million views and plenty of comments. She also released a few follow-up videos highlighting more of the ways students have been carrying their supplies around the school.

While many TikTok users found humor in the students’ creativity and ability to adapt so quickly, others were quick to point out that the school seemed to miss the bigger picture. One user commented, “Ban anything but the problem.” Another said, “‘Cause backpacks are clearly the problem here.” The ban is currently still in place.

What do you think about these students and their creative ways to get around their school’s backpack ban? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family members and friends, too.