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A concerned mum has started a petition after she was told her son could not take a backpack when he returns to school this week.
Nina Blanco, from Sittingbourne , received an email from South Avenue Primary School saying no bags could be brought into the school when the new term starts on Thursday.
A lunchbox, water bottle and sun hat would be allowed, however, and children will be given a plastic wallet for their books.
Nina said her seven-year-old son was already worried about returning to school after lockdown, and the no-bag policy was adding to his stress.
"He loves school but he is very apprehensive about going back because of the big changes," the 34-year-old said.
"He has to be in a bubble and not mix with other bubbles, there's one-way systems, all children have to sit side by side, and so on. He's just worried and the bag rule is adding to that stress."
Nina said she had done some research and found that other schools in the borough were allowing children to take school bags when they return.
"How can you have one rule for some kids and another rule for others? It's not fair," the mother-of-two said.
"It's also contradicting that they're allowed to bring packed lunches in but not bags.
"It just gives them a small piece of normality in something that's no longer going to be normal for them."
"For me, I just picture them as little prisoners taking their little belongings to and from school in plastic wallets – at least allow them to have one piece of normality when they go back."
She added: "He will be going into Year 3 when he goes back and kids in Year 3 and up have lockers anyway. Why can't they just bring their backpacks in and put them in the lockers? It just doesn't make sense."
Nina has so far got 46 signatures on her petition and says she is being backed by other parents.
"I'd like the school to acknowledge the petition and let them have their bags, just to give them that comfort," she said.
"It just gives them a small piece of normality in something that's no longer going to be normal for them."
In the email to parents, the school said it had to reduce the amount of equipment in the school on a daily basis, among a number of other things.
It added: "From September, our focus will be: Safety - to ensure that the school site, buildings and procedures are in line with the latest safety guidance; Wellbeing - to ensure that the children and staff are supported to have a positive mental health and wellbeing following the Covid-19 lockdown; Learning - to address the gaps in children's learning, implementing appropriate interventions to effectively support these."
