The Battle of the Schools

Now that August has begun, the battle of the schools has begun as well. Many states and parents are having to debate whether or not to send their children back to school while the pandemic is still in full swing. Since schools first started shutting their doors, more and more evidence has come to light showing how important being on campus is for kids. It has become imperative that schools re-open, with the benefits far outweighing any downfalls.

Initially, when everything shut down, people were encouraged to stay home with their families for safety. Yet, when schools shut down, this meant there was no safety for many kids. In March, the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN), reported a 22% increase in calls from minors with, “67% identified their perpetrator as a family member and 79% said they were currently living with that perpetrator”. Even if their homes were safe, many students were unable to keep up with online schooling due to special needs or having an IEP. Schools typically have aids that are able to individually assist students that require extra assistance. By taking this away, it has been, “raising serious concerns about regression in skills and functioning”, according to John Hopkins University. Additionally, low-income students face great difficulty accessing the technology needed to attend online classes. Over 9 million children don’t have access to the internet and 11 million don’t have a computer, with most of them in families that make $20,000 or less. Also, schools provide food and resources to students like free and reduced lunch and the backpack buddies program. With campuses closed, students are left without many options for learning and food.

There have been some concerns that with schools opening, there will be a greater spike in cases. The fear that students will be unable to social distance, or even the fact that kids will be kids and won’t listen is understandable. Yet, even the CDC is encouraging students to return to school. This is because they found that, “adolescents under 18 years old account for under 7 percent of COVID-19 cases and less than 0.1 percent of COVID-19-related deaths.” Schools will have to undertake some big changes to ensure social distancing; with smaller classes, seating on buses, and building layouts. Many states have adjusted by adopting a hybrid style, where students will attend school only certain days to reduce the number of people on campus. The coronavirus has led education to become only a possibility for some students, when it should be a safe haven for all.

Madison Zajac. 8/9/20

Works Cited

CDC. “Communities, Schools, Workplaces, & Events.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Apr. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/reopening-schools.html.

Faden, Ruth, et al. “The Ethics of K-12 School Reopening: Identifying and Addressing the Values at Stake.” John Hopkins University, June 2020.

Kamenetz, Anya. “Child Sexual Abuse Reports Are On The Rise Amid Lockdown Orders.” NPR.Org, 28 Apr. 2020, www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/28/847251985/child-sexual-abuse-reports-are-on-the-rise-amid-lockdown-orders.

“More than 9 Million Children Lack Internet Access at Home for Online Learning.” USAFacts, 6 Apr. 2020, usafacts.org/articles/internet-access-students-at-home/.

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