The Concerns and Controversy Behind Schools Reopening

By Celina Yang

In recent months there has been much talk over the controversy of schools opening throughout the community. Many different options and safety measures seem to have been suggested for the continuation of education for many different schools. In this article, I would like to discuss how different countries and districts dealt with the safety risk of reopening schools as well as the morality behind schools reopening in the near future.

South Korea:

Being a Korean myself, I had heard about the conditions in South Korea from my friends and relatives. In February, Korea had the second most covid-19 cases except for China, factors of being near the origin of the Coronavirus. However, due to drive-thru testing and contract tracking technologies, most of the schools in Korea were able to open or partially open with strict safety measures such as physical boundaries for eating and learning, and also hygienic cleaning daily. 

Denmark:

I recently read about Denmark in a magazine article, and decided to add the country to my composition. Denmark schools have been going to a hybrid schedule such as many U.S. schools are planning to do in the future. So there are only about half the number of students at schools and are applied with various safety regulations such as “(1) In the classroom, students must be seated at tables that are at least two meters (6.5 feet) apart; (2) students must hand wash every two hours; and (3) all educational materials and equipment must be cleaned twice a day (Brookings Institute)”. Many schools cancelled important assessments to prevent the inequality of education for those who had to stay home.

Finland:

Finland’s reopening was much similar to Denmark’s, schools educating younger students were reopened first, due to the inability for more effective online learning for younger students. Classes were divided into 2 to 3 groups depending on the original class size prior to the Coronavirus.

Concerns:

Education is very important and it is certainly impossible for students to just stop getting their education. MAny students have been working hard for a certain academic goal, and it is certainly unethical to take away what they have worked for. However, safety is also important and should be prioritized. Personally, being a rising sophomore in high school, it had been a hard choice for me to choose to select online learning while knowing that I may have some disadvantages in assessments and participation grades. However, I have realized right from the start that I would not be able to concentrate while wearing a mask or be able to focus on my education if I go to school during this pandemic. Many students, especially rising juniors and seniors must make a hard decision concerning their health and their academic achievements. 

Many parents, teachers and the students themselves have been worried about the decision about reopening schools in the Fall Term. Personally, I think the reopening is a big risk, or rather a big “Experiment”, since there is no guarantee of complete safety. It may be true that children are less likely to get the Coronavirus and experience symptoms. However, this logic lacks significant parts, firstly, there were still many cases of Coronavirus in children. According to the Los Angeles Times, “a number of pediatric patients have developed a serious disease called multi-system inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, in children.” Another major flaw, is that even though the students themselves may not get the virus or develop severe symptoms, many students have much older family members who are much more susceptible to the virus. In conclusion, it may be too risky for schools to reopen if there is not a guarantee that the students and their families will be safe. Education is very important, but safety is also very important. Personally, I think the most effective solution must be to have hybrid schedules, so those parents who are unable to take care of their children due to work or other conditions can send their children to schools in a safe manner and those who want online learning can continue with it at home.

By Celina Yang

By Celina Yang

The Catalystsouth korea, denmark, finland, coronavirus, corona, covid-19, covidComment