By Dr. Debbie Wallace
- Can Kids go back to school safely during the coronavirus pandemic?
Yes and no. COVID19 prevention precautions and new hygiene routines are necessary if children are going back to a regular classroom. Doing school as usual places children at risk but poses the much greater risk to school personnel, families and the community. Currently, online schooling is the best way for children to return to school safely.
- Who is responsible for your kid’s safety at school?
Parents and guardians are responsible for children’s safety at all times. The reality is that schools may be liable if parents do not sign a waiver, so if I were a school, I would require that every student that returns to the classroom sign a disclaimer of liability.
- Is social distancing possible at elementary, middle, and high schools?
Children will be children. It is unreasonable to expect children to see their friends and not want to run and play with them, so it is unlikely that they will remain 6 feet apart all the time. Someone would have to be present to ensure social distancing. It would be better to have a security person do this rather than a teacher. Teachers should not have to be enforcers while teaching, as that can be distracting.
- What is your advice to parents who cannot teach their children at home?
Parents should try to keep their children safe by keeping them away from classrooms. Parents that have children at home would likely be willing to accept one or two additional children to watch over while they attended online school. A parent that has to return to work can ask family, friends, and trusted neighbors if they would be willing to watch their child so they can attend an online school.
- Is there a difference between homeschooling and online school?
A lot of people think of online schools as homeschooling, where the parent is the teacher, but most online schools have regular teachers in charge directly just as if they are in the classroom. When schools operate online due to COVID19 restrictions, the same teachers in your school with whom you are familiar will conduct the class online instead.
- School is essential, so just how effective is online school?
Many online schools have perfected this art for many years now, and we must learn from their experience. Students must have a schedule that they follow and have a place that they sit (preferably outside their bedroom) and participate. There must also be regular breaks (like 10 minutes) every hour that they stretch or take a walk around the house. The break will allow them to be ready for the next class. Teachers should keep parents or guardians aware of their student’s progress regularly.
- What should every parent of a school-age child know about the coronavirus pandemic?
The coronavirus is very contagious. It is a scientific fact that children can get the virus; they can die from it, and even though that is the exception that can happen. Most children who get the virus will not have any symptoms, but they can and will pass on the virus to others.
- How can parents and children win the battle against COVID-19?
Since over 5 million people in the US alone have become infected with COVID19, you may likely encounter the virus. We recommend that both adults and children be proactive. The measures that everyone should be familiar with by now requires active commitment. They include washing your hands for at least 20 minutes, practicing social distancing, wearing a mask whenever you are in public, and getting tested if you suspect you may have been around someone diagnosed with the virus. Also, everyone should boost your immune system and exercise every day.
- What is your advice to parents if children have to return to the classroom?
Parents need assurance of the relative safety of their children if and when they have to send them back to school. Firstly, lines of communication between the school authorities and parents are of paramount importance. It must be clear that schools are implementing all the measures recommended by the CDC as well as health safety directives from the local state and county education departments. All parties concerned must play their part and work together for the safety of the children, families and the community. Some of the things that parents/guardians can check include at a minimum the following: i)Maintain high levels of hygiene by frequent disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, ii)a predetermined minimal social distance between students in the classroom, iii)reduction of class size, iv)regular hand washing or a plentiful supply of hand sanitizer for students’ use, v)minimize the volume of student movement along corridors at any one time, vi)lunchtime to take place at their desk or a designated, appropriately spaced area, vii)vigilant oversight of mask-wearing and viii)maximized use of the outdoor areas.
- Should there be a National Back to School Policy during this Pandemic?
There is a need for national policies instead of everyone reinventing the wheel. We value teachers, school administration, and operational supporting staff as well as parents. Without careful planning and implementation of a clearly defined national strategy, they are the people that will be most negatively impacted by reconvening traditional classrooms. Schools should all resume online. Online students can be in “small bubbles,” which means roughly four students in each bubble – it would be like an extended family. They would interact, learn, and do assignments together, but they are apart from other students, and their families commit to practicing prevention. Children learn socially, so this would also be good for their mental and emotional health. Until we get this pandemic under control, there can be no school as usual in a safe way. So, let’s the hard work and make the tough decisions to end this pandemic and keep our children healthy and safe.
