“Continued closures risk ‘scarring the life chances of a generation of young people,’ according to an open letter published last month and signed by more than 1500 members of the United Kingdom’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). Virtual education is often a pale shadow of the real thing and left many parents juggling jobs and childcare. Lower-income children who depend on school meals were going hungry. And there were hints that children were suffering increased abuse, now that school staff could no longer spot and report early signs of it. It was time, a growing chorus said, to bring children back to school.”
- “School openings across globe suggest ways to keep coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaks” by Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Gretchen Vogel, Meagan Weiland/ Science Magazine July 7, 2020
And bring them back to school they did - at least in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel , Japan., and The Netherlands (among others). Within and across these countries, schools have varied in their approach to limiting viral spread. Some mix in-person and online classes or allow only part-time classes. Most have small classes and limit children’s interactions outside the classroom. Children are often required to wear masks and practice social distancing. However, Austrian schools are “fully open and don’t even require young children wear masks.” Japan requires parents to take and report their children’s temperature every morning.
Schools have now been open in the above countries for at least six weeks - long enough to look for possible effects on Covid case rates. Since positive cases partly track number of tests, I prefer country death rates as a proxy for Covid spread. Accordingly….
What I see is rather reassuring. Despite millions of children returning to school, Covid-related deaths are not surging in these countries.
We can do it. Carefully.
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More information (update from post-post reading):
“The new coronavirus poses a low risk to children. Studies suggest that under-18s are a third to a half less likely to catch the disease. Those under ten, according to British figures, are a thousand times less likely to die than someone aged between 70 and 79. The evidence suggests they are not especially likely to infect others. In Sweden staff at nurseries and primary schools, which never closed, were no more likely to catch the virus than those in other jobs. A new study of 1,500 teenage pupils and 500 teachers who had gone back to school in Germany in May found that only 0.6% had antibodies to the virus, less than half the national rate found in other studies. Granted, an outbreak at a secondary school in Israel infected over 150 pupils and staff. But with precautions, the risk can be minimised. …
Places that have restarted schooling, such as France, Denmark, China and New Zealand, offer tips for minimising the risks. They let the most vulnerable teachers stay at home. They commonly reduced class sizes, even though that meant many children could spend only part of the week with their teachers. They staggered timetables to prevent crowding in corridors, at school gates and in dinner halls. They required or encouraged masks. They boosted school-based testing and tracing.” - The risks of keeping schools closed far outweigh the benefits: Millions of young minds are going to waste The Economist July 18 2020
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References:
“More Than 20 Countries Are Reopening Schools. The U.S. Should Take Note” Lindsey M. Burke, Ph.D. Director, Center for Education Policy/ Heritage Foundation July 16, 2020
“School openings across globe suggest ways to keep coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaks” by Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Gretchen Vogel, Meagan Weiland/ Science Magazine July 7, 2020