I only remember desks in rows facing the teacher from starting school at five to leaving grammer school at 18. A desk was your little domain. Text books etc were kept there. You were never distracted by looking at someone because you only ever saw the back of the heads of the pupils in front of you. I live not far from a large technical college with pupils from the age of 11 to 18 and everyday the children pass laden down with full and probably very heavy bags. How some of the stand upright let alone walk mistifies me. They must carry these bags because they have no where to leave books and I know my daughter has many times had to dash to the college with books left at home by one of her three children knowing they needed them for a lesson that day. I have completed several computer courses at this college and have seen the children moving on from one lesson to another again with these large bags on their backs. They seem to be a bit like nomads. I know they have lockers but I suppose time to run to a locker get what you want and then get to next lesson means it is easier for the child to carry everything on their back. Can't be good for backs.