Schools have considered reopening, but many believe there is no safe and sustainable method to protect students, and the vaccine is not yet available for those under the age of 16. 

During the COVID-19 outbreak in Den Bosch,
Netherlands, students sit behind transparent 
plastic boards in a primary school class. Source:REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

By: Jefferson Villanueva and Raymond Soto

President Joe Biden has recently stated that he wants to reopen public schools within 100 days of taking office. Individuals believe that there is a significant risk for all students because not all teachers are vaccinated.

The risk of going back to school during a pandemic highers the chance of our immune system becoming weaker from fighting off COVID. Children will be more severely affected by regular sickness than they would be at home.

Students will be very close to each other at school, touching a lot of things like materials and being exposed to the risk of contracting the virus when getting lunch.

There are some parents, including from APB, who opposed the returning to regular school. They disagree because they do not want to expose their children to viruses since there are numerous ways students could potentially get the virus.

The vaccine is ineffectively prepared for children, those who can receive it must be over the age of 18 (Moderna). The only vaccine that is available to those aged 16 and up is the Pfizer.

Staying at home during distance learning has pros and cons. For example, online school reduces the risk of students contracting the Coronavirus, and it also allows students to become more familiar with a desktop and navigate the internet more effectively.

The disadvantage is that communication between students and teachers is much more complicated, making it more difficult for students to receive the assistance they require compared to in-person school.

Students who do not attend to in-person school experience a variety of impacts, including changes in how they organize their work. More time for themselves and their families, a lack of interaction between students and teachers, and a loss of motivation.

The pandemic had a significant impact on students because the way school was before the pandemic will never be comparable to how school would be if students returned.

After the COVID-19 lockdown, a group of children 
wearing face masks returned back to school, 
keeping their distance. Source:Getty

An APB parent, states, “with students going back to school, it would make me feel worried and concerned about me getting the virus, that it is an idea that we need to be more cautious with because if schools reopened, the cases might start increasing again.”

If a student contracts the virus at school, they risk infecting others at home, which causes those at home to miss work and adds up in the long run.

Parents and students are concerned about the high risk of contracting the Coronavirus. It can  complicate their lives, the lives of teachers, and the lives of  parents, and no one wants that to happen to them.