School bans popular backpacks

At least one local high school has issued a ban on the popular Sprayground school bags.

In an image posted to its official Instagram page, Holy Childhood High School in St Andrew posted three things under the heading ‘Please be reminded’ – students’ hairstyles, no Sprayground bags and the length of uniforms. In another post, it outlined its “school rules for a safe and positive year”, stating under ‘School bags and accessories’ that there should be “no violent, vulgar or obscene images” and that “bags must be changed where needed”. A subsequent letter sent to parents did not mention the brand by name but reiterated the stance on the prohibited images.

Holy Childhood also noted on its Instagram page that “a grace period of four weeks is granted. All students must have their correct school bags by Monday October 5, 2026”.

For many, the Sprayground brand is simply another hip and trendy craze among students, while some criticise the brand’s loud designs and imagery, including intense graphics. National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica President Stewart Jacobs said the bags should be treated as “contraband” and banned from all schools.

“If school is somewhere where you expect your child to learn high values and attitudes, you cannot have a bag like that in the school,” he said.

For Jacobs, the move by Holy Childhood is a step in the right direction, as he recalled the controversy surrounding the viral ‘dunce school bags’ in 2023.

“They (Sprayground bags) have a lot of hidden messages on them, subliminal messages. A few years a go, we had to stop the dunce bags and we did that successfully. They are both similar because they are not sending a message that makes any sense to our children.”

Still, some parents and students have pushed back against the growing scrutiny. One parent took to her TikTok platform and shared that her child was rewarded with a Sprayground backpack after acing her exams. The parent questioned why Jamaicans continue to focus on what she considers minor issues, arguing that a bag should never be such a big problem.

But Jacobs pushed back on the notion that the backpacks could disrupt learning.

“A gun is just a toy but it can take a life. A knife is a tool to be used in the kitchen, but it can harm. It is not just a bag, it is a bag with a message on it that is not conducive for learning,” he said. Jacobs encouraged all schools, including tertiary institutions, to follow Holy Childhood’s stance.

“Those bags shouldn’t even come through costumes, they should be treated as contraband,” he said. He also expressed disappointment at a member of parliament who gave away similar bags at a back-to-school treat.

“[I was] very disappointed that a government official was giving these bags away. Where was the research?” Jacobs said, “not because it is popular makes it right.”