By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
A GROUP of parents has emerged in strong support of opening schools for face-to-face instruction, despite a continued surge in COVID-19 cases.
Laureen Singh, a concerned parent, social worker and teacher, speaking on behalf of others with the same view, argued yesterday that schools should not be closed while the country is fully open.
She pointed specifically to restaurants and local social hotspots that continue to host patrons alongside fully functioning gyms and beauty salons among others.
Ms Singh said she supported the views of a recently published UNICEF article that said schools should be the last to close and the first to reopen.
Her comments came as a small group of parents planned to peacefully demonstrate in support of the resumption of face-to-face learning.
The UNICEF article noted that school closures have led to reduced physical activity and poor diets, increased levels of anxiety and self-harm, and exposure to domestic violence. For many children, alternatives to school are child labour, child marriage and teenage pregnancy. Once this happens, it can be impossible for girls or boys to return to school, the article said.
The Bahamas recorded a combined 690 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and Tuesday of this week while more than 2,000 cases were confirmed in December 2021 alone.
Schools were to resume a hybrid format with in-person instruction this month, but due to the surge believed to be caused by the Omicron variant, the Ministry of Education, Technical and Vocational Training along with the Ministry of Health and Wellness made the decision that all schools could only hold virtual lessons. Officials said the decision would be revisited in two weeks.
Despite the current situation, which has sparked a view among many that schools cannot safely open at this time, Ms Singh said she believed otherwise.
“The health professionals are saying this new variant of Omicron is speedy, but not deadly,” Ms Singh said yesterday. “This is what they want to see towards the end of a virus; that it mutates fast and speedy and this is the end now.
“The virus was never stronger because the kids were in school. The private schools were open. They were hybrid, they were Room and Zoom. The cases never got higher from schools. Around the world, UK, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada, they were open for the last two years and cases were not skyrocketing through the schools. They can trace it back and it was not through the schools, but yet it’s the first thing to shut down. Everything else in The Bahamas is open, why is it schools are not open?
“Why is it not being spread in the hotels, in the gyms, in the restaurants?”
Brook, another parent who requested to be mentioned only by her first name, said schools need to be open so that all children’s education and social skills aren’t irreparably damaged.
“In 2021 entire schools on New Providence proved that face-to-face learning is achievable during these difficult times. With basic (yet cheap) COVID-safe precautions in place they operated quite successfully without any explosion of COVID in-school,” the parent said.
“Ultimately, the root of these issues lies with The Bahamas’ vaccination rate...
“It is the opinion of many that the government should take a hardline to the freedoms of the unvaccinated population and protect those of us who are trying to help move forward.
“Follow in the footsteps of other countries and reduce access to all the retail and leisure facilities open to the unvaccinated right now, because unvaccinated adults are as much as eight times more likely to be admitted to hospital than those who have been vaccinated.
“The unvaccinated cohort are largely why any severe restrictions such as ceasing in-school education are even considered by the government,” the parent said.
However, there are some parents of the view that the stance of people like Ms Singh and Brook do not represent the position of the majority.
One parent who asked to remain anonymous maintained that it was wholly unsafe to open schools at this time.
The reasons include that positive COVID-19 cases have risen exponentially alongside a low vaccination rate in the country. Together, these pose an increased risk of serious illness, hospitalisation and even death, the parent said. Further the parent was of the view that the number of new cases reported are not truly reflective of the actual number of positive cases due to people choosing not to test. In addition, the anonymous parent said school closures reduce the spread of the virus.
The parent maintained that to ignore these aspects is dangerous to all.
Comments
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
Finally some speaking up for the kids...it only took two years...but serious damage done...kids need to be back in school now. And while yer at it get rid of masks for the kids it's useless..
xtreme2x 2 years, 11 months ago
I agree with children must be back in school...Please explain, "why it is useless wearing mask".
realfreethinker 2 years, 11 months ago
Masks are useless because they are not stopping the spread of the virus.
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
Covid is an airborne disease thats floats in the air and is much smaller than the the cloth and surgical masks that most kids and teachers wear. It's like using a tennis racket to keep out the rain and the air the comes out the side of the mask doesn't just magically disappear.
Children/schools have never been a massive for vector cases, hospitalisation or death. In fact more kids in the USA die from suicide, drowning and the flu..
Children, particularly young children, need to see their teachers faces to develop emotional awareness and identify learning cues..
With masks the educational development of children is interrupted to protect them from a virus has very little risk to them, by protective method that doesn't work...
bahamianson 2 years, 11 months ago
I went to work , came home at 4 i the afternoon, then home schooled my kids until 6:30 pm. Respectfully, I totally disagree because I lived it. I , and when I say I, homeschooled my kids. They were homeschooled from grade 1 to grade 6. They both took the entrance exam for high schools and passed. My son was second in his class fighting for first. He graduated high school with a 3.76 GPA. My daughter , whom hated homeschooling, graduated high school with a 3.65 GPA. So, don't tell me how tragic it is for kids to learn at home. Dont tell me what the doctors say. My daughter and son both got scholarships for college. What we have are parents whom do not want to take the time to assist their children just like before the Covid. Before Covid , parents did not want to meet teachers for Report Card Day let alone pick up the report card from school. Parents need to do better.
ohdrap4 2 years, 11 months ago
Who said that? It has been shown that the vaccines wane quickly and offer some protection against hospitalization and death. So no protection against transmission.
The closures, lockdown, vaccine passport are to stop transmission and have not worked.
Yes, the school should be open. But the teachers do not want that to happen.
I was sympathetic when I started reading the article. Until I saw it was a disguise to promote compulsory vaccination.
John 2 years, 11 months ago
TWO POINTS: Firstly parents, don’t let your emotions get the better of you. Calling for schools to open at this juncture is like former prime minister Dr Hubert Minnis calling elections in the peak of the Delta wave. The results of that poor and reckless decision are well documented and includes record deaths, mass illness and hospitalizations and Minnis being unseated as PM, removed as leader of his party and virtually cast down. . . SECONDLY This argument and rivalry with and between vaccinated and unvaccinated people are baseless, counterproductive and even leads to more confusion and misinformation and misbehavior among vaccinated people. If unvaccinated persons were adding to the Covid-19 problem, then why are groups and gatherings that include only vaccinated persons getting infected and and getting sick, some seriously? There is currently a group of Canadian students who were refused re-entry into Canada after footage to them partying and gatherings without masks were exposed. There are some countries that have little vaccinations but their Covid-19 numbers, including deaths are ways better than some highly vaccinated countries. So it’s not just but the vaccines, but the responsible behavior of a population and the level of exposure to people from the outside. And in The Bahamas, yes this country, that is the greatest challenge. Travel. Records show that a number of persons testing positive for Covid had a recent travel history. And they are required to be vaccinated in order to travel. Some will argue that they will not get sick as bad as an unvaccinated person. .
. But the evidence shows they are bringing the virus back home, as as the vaccinated tourists. And most likely than not, it is the deadly Delta strain that had already had its battle in this country. So YOU sound really dumb and stupid even when you try to blame unvaccinated people since the numbers of vaccinated persons are increasing but so are the numbers of infections. SO STOP IT!
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
Yea. They don't really care about children. They are using the education issue. Sad. Their agenda is already a failed policy around the world that has highly boosted Israel scratching their heads toward a probable sixth vaccination or just to live with covid.
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
A pro Vax group to harm your child does not represent Mt grandchildren. Just garbage news.
https://m.theepochtimes.com/think-twice…
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
Global view of children facing death not from covid but it's collateralized damage primarily school closure.
https://www.rt.com/news/545497-germany-…
MareNostrum 2 years, 11 months ago
Thank God for these brave women who are fighting for all our children's education. It is a sad state of affairs that a country prioritizes tourism at the expense of the education and well being of children. The bars are open, the hotels are open, the salons are open yet we are being prevented from educating our children properly. Every single country in the world has prioritized face to face learning. FIRST open schools then the rest of the economy. Our children are out in the streets because parents have to go to work and most of them don't even have a screen to blankly stare at. We should be able to choose whether we want to send our children to school. After two years of this the children's mental Well being is at a breaking point. Covid is over. If you are vaccinated it's just a flu. Enough is enough. This government will be overthrown by desperate parents if our children are not allowed back into schools!
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