If we can’t even get a haircut, how can they look after the children?

Picture via The Times

An article by Bex Badman
01/06/20

The Covid-19 outbreak has seen us face continuous lists of ‘do’s and don’ts’ from the government, with restrictions on who we see, what we do and precautions we should take. I would like to begin with a list of ‘Do nots’:

1. Do not visit friends and families inside their homes
2. Do not exercise using indoor sports facilities or swimming pools, or outside gyms and playgrounds
3. Do not visit friends and families inside their homes

With such clear instructions to steer clear of situations that could be potentially harmful due to their contained natures, like getting a haircut, I pose to you the question; how can we send teachers into a classroom? As with every ‘’Don’t’’ that you see here, there is a contradicting order which primary and secondary teachers will have to undertake as of June 1^st. 

On May 10^th, the Prime minister announced that there would be a phased return to primary and secondary schools beginning June 1^st; where the government have devised a ‘conditional plan’ in order for this to happen. Their ‘plan’ consists of various guidelines that the schools have to adhere to; such as investing in enough equipment to limit the spread of Covid-19. However, on closer inspection, these guidelines seemingly neglect both their ideals for the rest of the public in this pandemic, and also the nature of small children. 

According to Schools Week, the list of instructions for schools is as follows; firstly, cap the school’s capacity to 50%, invest in equipment to create daily temperature checks and ensure sufficient hand sanitiser is in buildings. Secondly, there will have to be staggered opening times and breaks as well as management of toilet crowding, to name but a few of the supposed measures. 

Picture via Edinburgh Live

The intentions behind these instructions are clear in that as this pandemic unfurls, we must take more responsibility for the flattening of the curve; STAY ALERT. Yet these next stages disregard a small child’s desire to play and the fact that they would struggle to social distance. Does this suggest that this phased return is a social experiment to test the progress of lockdown upon curbing the rate of infection?

Potentially. In a recent interview Michael Gove said that ‘’if you really care about children, you’ll want them back in schools’’, but what about the teachers who are a lot more susceptible to the virus and will not be provided with proper PPE, as well as the mentally challenging environment that children will be put into. 

Contrary to Gove’s statement, the environment that will be faced is one of isolation, where children as young as 4 will have to sit 2 meters apart in a classroom and separately on playgrounds, with no handling of shared toys and minimum contact from teachers. Despite the fact that children this young struggle with hygiene at the best of times and need a lot of contact time for learning, Gove suggests you do not care for your child if you do not send them back to school.

A statement, which in this current situation, is extremely misplaced. Following on from this idea of measures that are hard to implement regarding hygiene, is the notion that it is safe enough to return to schools. The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick stated that when teachers return to schools, they will not need PPE. In fact, according to ‘scientific advice’, items such as face masks would not be required for adults in schools. However, there is significant evidence to show that face masks are extremely important to slow down the spread of this disease, as stated by various clinics; face masks, combined with other preventative measures and social distancing help to slow the spread. This wearing of face masks helps to prevent the air born virus be passed on as quickly by those who have COVID-19 but do not realise it, in particular the period where the virus is harbouring before symptoms show. If teachers, who are predominantly aged over 30 with only 31% of primary teachers being 30 or younger, there is definitely cause for concern as they are sent in with minimal protection other than the instruction to wash their hands. 

Picture via The Mirror

As we send our teachers, key workers and volunteers out into the frontlines to face this virus, we have to ask ourselves; are we doing what’s best for all or are we tempting a second spike. Risking the lives of others for what seems like a very hasty road to recovery.