Children are missing out at a critical time of their lives if schools do not provide the needed education and instruction. A young child who does not attend even one semester of school may not be able to recover from this loss. Before ninth grade, skills are being taught while the nervous system is in development. The learning and growing are specific for the child’s age.
Meanwhile, there is the deadly pandemic to consider. Parents do not want their kids to be exposed to infection which could harm many members of the family. How to safely satisfy the education and health goals simultaneously. The difficulty stems from the fact that the former usually involves being with other people while the latter requires social distancing.
Home schooling by parents is an option. Parents need the time and skill to do this. Hiring a private tutor is another. Both solutions depend upon a certain level of financial wherewithal that is not available to most.
Barriers in schools is a very good option. Each student sits at a desk in a plexiglass cubicle. It can be three-sided, with the forward-facing side open. It should rise above the height that the child would rise to when standing. The teacher could face and address the entire class. The instructor would need to be covered with a reliable mask, face shield, and clothing. It may have to be a mask that allows good sound transmission.
This way, everyone is safe. With the wide use of cell phones, the kids can communicate and see each other during breaks. Although not ideal by previous standards, it still provides an opportunity for social interaction at school. Other technologies for wired or wireless interaction may be useful. This does not address the recess questions, but it is better than nothing as a start.
School lunches can be provided. Teachers instead of students may move from class to class.
It will be costly. The plexiglass barriers are a one-time investment. Trillions of dollars are being spent to shore up individuals and businesses. Childhood education is also very important. A car wash model of total room cleansing can be instituted at night.
Remote learning is also possible with technology. Teachers can record visual/audio sessions that each child could receive at home. If planned well, these can be comprehensive. Face-to-face interaction with a live teacher both personally and as a class can augment the recorded module. Society will have to ensure that every student has easy access to this format. That is a big commitment, but well worth it. No one may be left out. Many may require instruction in how to use the internet and benefit from the system. This is good for the student and for the future of society.
Every child would be given an internet capable cellular device that can only be used for educational purposes. This is assuming that such technology is significantly more affordable for society than a broader purposed machine. The latter would offer greater advantage and be worth the extra expense if not overwhelmingly costly. Local uninterrupted and reliable internet access must be provided. Such a thing may be considered a human right in today’s world. Business/government partnerships may show the way. Foundations and concerned groups will have a focus for how to improve society by helping children.
If avoiding contracting the COVID virus is a fact of life, then we need methods like these to fit our endeavors into this schema. Children may not be enthusiastic about learning from cubicles. But like with so many things, human beings adjust.
Educating our children is itself a health issue. Illiteracy and the accompanying lack of mental skills development harms the health and well-being of the children. This becomes more obvious as they become teenagers and adults. An inadequately educated population is itself an unhealthy one.
Combining the barriers setup with the modular recorded instructional format may be a reasonable approach. Teachers may still add to the lesson with some personal interaction with the class and the individual. Digital testing and resource recovery add to the experience. School meals, counseling, and other necessary programs can be available in the building. One-on-one interactions with students can be at plexiglass modules that seat one on each side of a barrier. Discussion is electronic.
It is possible that prevention of spread of infectious disease is here to stay. Either the current pandemic or a new one yet to come may mandate a lifestyle of separation. Barriers are a means to allow children and adults to participate in live learning. We need to have more of a public conversation about the value of instituting this format. Predicting the future is always problematic. But societies and governments do it all time. For example, billions of dollars are spent building roadways based on projections. We should consider investments in live schooling to address a current and likely future need.
Health and Spirit by Dr. Jack Zoldan 