Lockers can be some of the most versatile tools a student can use in their day. Lockers can take a burden off your shoulders, from carrying extra books or extra sports equipment, it saves extra energy. One problem with lockers is how much time they consume. You will likely not notice the time you spend putting school supplies in and out of your locker. After putting things away, you will be surprised with the amount of time you used up and need to rush to class to not be late. Taking away lockers means people will have more time to chat and use the bathroom. This means less class time is missed by bathroom breaks.
I’ve never used my locker in my years at Park. There’s just not enough time. For many people, it’s always been out of sight out of mind, this way students can spend more time preparing for class or walking with friends. If everyone went to their locker twice a day, a lot of people would be tardy for class. Other students at Park have noticed this as well and most students don’t even use their lockers. Most students just walk with their friends to class or use the restroom instead of going to their lockers. I also find lockers to be a waste, especially, for the amount of students that use them.
From what I’ve noticed over the years, most students have lost the need to use a locker. Kindergarteners use their lockers to store their coats and backpacks, while middle schoolers use lockers to store unwanted items. However, high schoolers either don’t have the time or the need for them. This makes it easier to use a backpack for everything than a locker. I think it’s a good thing, it shows how schools and students change over the years. I could see how it was much more common for teenagers to use lockers 10 years ago or even 20 years ago. Teenagers back then, as well as the schools they attended, didn’t see a purpose for bringing bags with them to every class. Instead, they stopped at their lockers. Maybe that’s why Park has hundreds of lockers nobody uses.
With the lockers having almost no use, why keep them? Lockers could be repurposed as storage for sports and equipment for teachers. Without the students using the space, it would be much less crowded and easier to move through the hallways which could benefit kids getting to class on time.
The current policy is that students have to request lockers, which I completely agree with. Students who don’t need a locker don’t need to fill out a form and students who do need a locker just need to fill out a form. It benefits both parties.
Overall, for the number of students that use or need a locker and how many lockers are available, it is a waste of space and time to assign people. Since the school remodeled almost the entire school and made many changes including painting the lockers, I doubt they will make any changes by the time I graduate. In the future, I would love to see the use for lockers change.
