Thought of the Day - August 21 - Back To School

The current topic on everyone's mind, whether you have kids or no, is the debate on the start of the school year.

I must admit I was surprised that last year's school term was not extended and that for the most part summer school was cancelled. This meant that students had no chance to catch up on missed curriculum, and the school system had a hiatus, instead of incrementally preparing for the fall. But as a friend in the teaching business pointed out:

1. All school kids pass whether they complete the curriculum or not - there is no standardized testing that students, or even teachers, have to meet anyway;

2. There was a limited physical return to school when they were reopened in the spring ( Thought of the Day - June 1 - Back To School);

3. Kids that do well in school and have a supportive home life have done well anyway - for the rest the continuation of "virtual" classes through the summer would have had minimal benefit;

4. Social distancing practices are largely impractical, especially for younger students - across the country teacher's unions have been embattled with education administrators on the "right" practices to implement (Manitoba just made masks mandatory for most students);

5. There is a body of misinformation, saying kids are immune and thus don't spread the virus, which does not help (Thought of the Day - August 9 - Superspreading Toddlers);

6. Overall the staff, both administration and teachers, probably did better without a summer teaching load and thus more of a chance to re-charge their batteries after a number of crazy months.

A number of western countries have already started the school year (for example many US states start early), with mixed results, both from an education standpoint and of course the "elephant in the room": What will happen to case rates post-return to class?

Like most of our present "lessons", with the exception of a few medical/technology practices, we are simply re-learning the lessons of the past (social distancing, mask-wearing, hygiene etc.). So what about schools?

During the influenza pandemic in 1918, even though the world, and more specifically the US, was a very different place, the discussion was just as heated. While the vast majority of US cities closed their schools, three opted to keep them open -- New York, Chicago and New Haven. The decisions of health officials in those cities were based largely on the hypothesis that students were safer and better-off at school. It was, after all, the height of the Progressive Era, with its emphasis on hygiene in schools and more nurses for each student than is thinkable now. "(Children) leave their often unsanitary homes for large, clean, airy school buildings, where there is always a system of inspection and examination enforced," said the New York's health commissioner at the time.

Students weren't allowed to gather outside school and had to report to their teacher immediately. Teachers checked students for any signs of the flu, and students who had symptoms were isolated. If students had a fever, someone from the health department would take them home, and the health official would judge whether the conditions were suitable for "isolation and care," and if not, they were sent to a hospital.

The argument in Chicago for leaving schools open, for its 500,000 students, was the same. Part of Chicago's strategy was to ensure that fresh air was circulated. School rooms were overheated during the winter so that windows could remain open at all times. If social distancing was helpful then, it was made easier by the fact that absenteeism in schools soared during the pandemic, due to "fluphobia" among parents. Actually, the absentee rate was so great, it really didn't matter that schools were open.

Researchers, who have pored over data and historical records in looking at the response across 43 cities, aren't as convinced. New York didn't do the worst, but it didn't do the best either, and Chicago was only slightly better. Research shows that cities that implemented quarantining and isolation, school closures and bans on public gatherings fared the best.

And here in Canada, in Ontario, public health officials called on teachers to "instill reverence and habits for proper hygiene". Teachers in lower grades were instructed to teach simple directions for hand washing and sharing cups, while teachers in upper grades conducted lessons on infectious diseases. Students learned the importance of coughing and sneezing into a handkerchief to prevent the spread of air droplets containing “germ-laden mucus”, while those who failed to cover their mouths were considered “careless and ignorant”.

Despite best efforts to keep school doors open, outbreaks in autumn 1918 forced closures across Ontario. While outbreaks were difficult to contain once they were detected, school districts that had already implemented systems for medical inspection fared significantly better than those that had not.

Prolonged school closures significantly hindered student progress. In Ontario, summer exams were pushed back two weeks in order to give teachers and students more time to prepare, and examiners were instructed to “bear in mind the distracting conditions of the year” while grading. Even for Ontario schools that remained open, attendance and student enrolment dropped significantly due to the influenza epidemic well into 1919.

So the key lessons:

1. Have a medical presence and screening at the schools;

2. Ensure there is no aggregate play-time in or around schools;

3. Open all the windows;

4. Teach kids the importance of, and the practice of, proper hygiene;

5. Don't expect 2020 to deliver the same level of education;

6. and - The jury was out concerning whether opening schools is good or bad.

If you are still of two minds about the return to school, rest assured you are not alone. The press is reporting that Trudeau has still not decided if his kids will be returning to school in September either.

Cheers

Cliff