Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio constantly tell us they’re following “science” and “the experts” as they decide on New York’s reopening. Well, more and more experts agree on one thing: Kids will suffer if schools don’t open this fall.
The prestigious National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine are the latest to issue a report calling for in-person instruction, saying remote learning is simply ineffective for younger and special-needs students. That echoes last month’s similar advisory from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Weighing the health risks . . . against the educational risks,” the new report says, “school districts should prioritize reopening schools full time, especially for grades K-5 and students with special needs.”
It states what’s obvious to parents who struggled with the lack of learning all spring: “Without in-person instruction, schools risk children falling behind academically and exacerbating educational inequities.”
For example, “In grades K-3, children are still developing the skills to regulate their own behavior, emotions and attention, and therefore struggle with distance learning.”
Most studies show the coronavirus poses few health risks to children. With “insufficient” evidence on how easily they might pass it on to others, the academies recommend providing surgical masks to teachers and staff, regular cleaning along with handwashing or hand-sanitizing stations and limiting large gatherings of students.
Mitigate the health risks and the educational risks at once: Open schools with additional safety measures. Our kids can’t afford to lose yet more months of learning.