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The Daily Signal
More Than 20 Countries Are Reopening Schools. The US Should Take Note.
Lindsey Burke
July 15, 2020
In March, school shutdowns around the globe caused 1.5 billion children
to begin schooling from home, representing over 91% of children, UNESCO
estimates.
Here in the U.S., conversations about the state of school reopenings
have hit a fever pitch as August quickly approaches. Many parents—some
71% in Education Next’s 2020 poll—feel their children learned less this
spring than they would have had schools remained open.
As Science magazine reports, over 20 countries reopened schools in
June, and some, like Taiwan, Nicaragua, and Sweden, never closed them
to begin with. Day cares remained open for essential workers in many
countries, and although there are exceptions, outbreaks have generally
been rare.
To be sure, there have been some cases of outbreaks at schools that
have reopened. As Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Gretchen Vogel, and Meagan
Weiland report in Science, more than 150 students and 25 staff members
contracted the virus at a joint middle/high school in Jerusalem, and 96
students and teachers caught the virus at a New Zealand high school
before that country’s lockdown went into effect.
Additionally, two day care centers in Canada saw spikes among staff and reclosed.
Overall, however, the data suggest that it is rare for children to
develop severe symptoms if they contract the virus, and it is rare for
them to spread the virus if they do get it.
That is why many countries, particularly in Europe, have at least
partially reopened schools. Here is a sample of what countries around
the world are doing when it comes to reopening:
Australia. In the state of New South Wales, schools reopened for
in-person classes one day per week in early May, combined with virtual
learning the four remaining days. Individual schools were able to
decide how to best schedule those classes. On May 25, schools reopened
full time.
Austria. Schools have reopened, and masks are no longer required because “officials observed little spread within schools.”
Canada. In Quebec, schools reopened in May and children socialize in
groups of six. Science reports that while 53 students and teachers
contracted the virus, “officials believed many of those infections were
contracted in the community.”
Denmark. Denmark was the first country in Europe to reopen schools,
doing so on April 15. Schools in Denmark do as much class time outside
as possible, and children are divided into small groups, nicknamed
“pods,” of around 12 students.
Finland. Finland reopened schools in May and have retained their
standard class size, but have kept classes separated from each other
and staggered reopening by age. Finnish officials “found no evidence of
school spread and no change in the rate of infection” for students
under 16.
France. French schools reopened in mid-May on a voluntary basis.
Research out of France suggests that when children do contract the
disease, they are contracting it at home, rather than in school. French
schools are planning to fully reopen in September.
Germany. In German schools, which reopened in May on a part-time basis,
if a student or staff member contracts the virus, “classmates and
teachers of an infected student are sent home for two weeks, but other
classes continue.”
Israel. Schools fully reopened in May in Israel, and classes are full,
but students wear masks. Individual schools close temporarily if a
student or staff member contracts the virus.
Japan. Japan began reopening schools in June. Parents must take their
children’s temperature every morning and provide a report to the
schools. Children attend on alternating days, and teachers and students
wear masks.
Netherlands. The Netherlands reopened in May but halved their class
sizes. Schools did not require social distancing for students under 12.
Sweden. Schools in Sweden never closed for young children, nor did they
make major adjustments to their day-to-day operations or reduce class
size. Although Sweden’s death rate is high compared to its European
neighbors, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist says “there’s little evidence
schools exacerbated the outbreak.”
In countries with high infection rates, like India and Brazil, schools
remain closed and local governments will likely determine when schools
reopen on a case-by-case basis.
In the U.S., the Trump administration has called on schools to reopen
this fall. President Donald Trump suggested last week that schools
could lose access to federal funding (which only makes up just 8.5% of
all K-12 school revenue) if they do not reopen.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos suggested that rather than withholding
federal funds, those dollars should simply follow students to the
schools of the family’s choice that are open—a smart policy response.
For their part, the teachers unions and other special-interest groups
are demanding hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending to reopen
schools. The American Federation of Teachers has demanded Congress
spend $116 billion on K-12 school reopening, “close to the amount the
U.S. dedicated to the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War
II,” Corey DeAngelis of Reason Foundation points out.
By framing the conversation as a battle between federal officials and
special-interest groups, the debate shifts away from those it impacts
the most—local schools and families—as my colleague Jonathan Butcher
observes.
Decisions about reopening schools need to be driven by school leaders and parents, and based on local factors.
If public school districts remain closed, do a poor job of
transitioning online, or do not meet the needs of families in this
COVID-19 era, parents should be able to take their money elsewhere.
States should provide emergency education savings accounts to families
to enable them to enroll their children at schools of their choice that
are open or are providing quality online instruction.
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