Are we focussed on the smoke and mirrors of this pandemic? Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…stay home, stay safe, god speed. We have become hyper focussed on what the media is blasting 24 hours a day. We are being told that we need to curb the spread, lock it down, shut our doors, turn a blind eye - and our backs - to what is really happening out there. What is really happening out there?
Why are we not discussing what closing our schools is doing to our children – because let me tell you – It isn’t pretty, it’s not minimal damage and it doesn’t serve our kids better than getting and living with Covid.
Hold off on throwing your tomatoes and cursing me in the comments and take a beat. Obviously, this is not a blanket statement for all – I know there are vulnerable high risk children out there whose parents are legit terrified of Covid and may I say, I wish your nothing but peace and good health. If that is not you – keep reading.
Why is no one addressing the isolation, social anxiety and mental health issues that are at an all-time high. How is this not the common conversation that is filling our airwaves? Why are our conversations centred around lock downs, closures, transmission and PCR testing and not about a generation of children who are drowning socially, emotionally and academically?
Our kids NEED to be in school. Full stop. Socially, Emotionally and Academically. The gaps in their learning are wider than ever – they are not able to learn in meaningful ways when they are at home – its not conducive to how the curriculum is written so how can it possibly be delivered in a way that matters and engages students in the skills they are intended to develop by design? Even if a teacher is Houdini, and I have seen amazing online teaching, it is not possible to offer the breadth and depth that the curriculum is designed to offer.
And, this material is cumulative, so if they missed it one year – they are not going to get it the next . Now for a math lesson we can all understand, multiply that by 3 years of learning and there you have it – our children’s future comprised of constantly having to play catch up and fill in the blanks.
And that is just one part of the puzzle - and IMHO as the kids say, it isn’t even the most important part! Our kids are getting zero exposure and opportunity for social emotional learning, maturing, growing and developing. They are getting robbed of the one thing we hope for our children – to become kind, empathetic, caring, functioning adults! You know the kind of adults we dream of our kids becoming, the organized ones who can multitask, take initiative, participate in group discussions, contribute ideas and share feedback in constructive ways. People with soft skills like dressing themselves independently and appropriately for recess, people who can find their pencils and materials, people who can do things like showing up to designated places on time, complete tasks on time, follow a schedule, adhere to rules and routines.
People who understand what being a part of and contributing to a community means, people who can explore the rules of friendships and relationship building in healthy pro social ways, who know how to relate to others…everything you dreamed of that your children would have and become – that is exactly what they are losing. And they can’t get these years back.
I beg you, please understand the gravity of this situation and the immense loss your children are experiencing and ask yourselves - at what cost? Why are my kids at home going through their formative years (or online learning – whatever you want to call it) in their bedrooms? Schools NEED to be the last to close – not the first.
Is this the game changer in the fight against Covid 19? Are they the foot soldiers in this battle – come on! All children need to be in school – like yesterday, and anyone who believes otherwise should hop in a hot air balloon with a wizard and see about a witch.