School may not be the most comfortable place on Earth in many ways, but does one contributing factor really have to be the back-aching chairs? Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the bus seats are more comfortable than what we are expected to sit in all day long. 

Rarely do people know the actual effects of these chairs, but I am about to inform you of a few of the real consequences they produce. 

It may be quite blunt to say that focus is interrupted by school chairs, so let me explain. School should be about learning, usually that requires you to pay attention to what your teacher is trying to communicate, but by the end of the day, I am usually more busy trying to get even the slightest bit comfortable.

In those minutes, or even seconds, that your focus has been modified, you can miss little notes or messages from the class itself. Some might think connecting those two things is a reach, but doesn’t it make sense?

Secondly, the chairs provide no support whatsoever. All the chair backs cut-off way too short to fit an average-sized teenager’s back. Eventually, throughout a class, this can cause your neck to bend forward, putting a strain on your lower back. 

These “small” problems can possibly even cause long term back and neck issues after hours, days, and years on end. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it also affects your posture in a negative way and potentially can give you frequent headaches. 

Unfortunately, budgets are fairly small to allow schools to be able to change the chair situation easily. That’s one of the two main reasons for these undersized, plastic chairs. The other being that they are pretty durable. They don’t need to replace them often and they fit the low budget. 

As schools try and adjust to become a more appealing place, by serving healthier lunches and adjusting to different techniques in the classroom for learning purposes, the school chairs should be a priority just as important to the school board.