Pediatricians say students should be in classrooms for in-person learning as soon as possible – the most full-throated endorsement yet for getting children back into schools amid the coronavirus pandemic and one that was included in a set of recommendations released by the American Academy of Pediatrics for how schools should safely reopen.
"The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020," the group representing 67,000 pediatricians wrote.
"Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation."
"This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality," the guidance continued. "Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families."
The recommendations acknowledge that infectious disease experts are still learning about the effects of COVID-19 and that all reopening policies must be flexible to account for rapidly changing scenarios. But the academic, physical and mental upsides associated with reopening outweigh the risks, the group concludes, especially as evidence mounts that children may not be the superspreaders medical experts initially assumed they were and that they tend to exhibit milder symptoms when they do contract the virus.
Perhaps most importantly, the pediatric group concludes, reopening is essential for the country's most vulnerable students, including poor students and students of color, who often rely more heavily on the multitude of services schools provide.
"Beyond supporting the educational development of children and adolescents, schools play a critical role in addressing racial and social inequity," the guidance reads. "As such, it is critical to reflect on the differential impact SARS-CoV-2 and the associated school closures have had on different races, ethnic and vulnerable populations."
The specific recommendations largely mirror the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though allow for looser restrictions in some cases. For example, the pediatrician group concedes that in most school settings, requiring 6 feet between students is not feasible without limiting the number of students in a class. It recommends instead spacing as close as 3 feet, particularly if students are wearing face coverings and are asymptomatic.
Rules are generally more lax for younger students in pre-kindergarten and elementary school – a recognition of the reality that younger children aren't likely to comply with social distancing and face mask requirements – and escalate gradually through middle school and into high school.
https://www.usnews.com/news/educati...dren-to-return-to-schools-despite-coronavirus
"The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020," the group representing 67,000 pediatricians wrote.
"Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation."
"This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality," the guidance continued. "Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families."
The recommendations acknowledge that infectious disease experts are still learning about the effects of COVID-19 and that all reopening policies must be flexible to account for rapidly changing scenarios. But the academic, physical and mental upsides associated with reopening outweigh the risks, the group concludes, especially as evidence mounts that children may not be the superspreaders medical experts initially assumed they were and that they tend to exhibit milder symptoms when they do contract the virus.
Perhaps most importantly, the pediatric group concludes, reopening is essential for the country's most vulnerable students, including poor students and students of color, who often rely more heavily on the multitude of services schools provide.
"Beyond supporting the educational development of children and adolescents, schools play a critical role in addressing racial and social inequity," the guidance reads. "As such, it is critical to reflect on the differential impact SARS-CoV-2 and the associated school closures have had on different races, ethnic and vulnerable populations."
The specific recommendations largely mirror the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though allow for looser restrictions in some cases. For example, the pediatrician group concedes that in most school settings, requiring 6 feet between students is not feasible without limiting the number of students in a class. It recommends instead spacing as close as 3 feet, particularly if students are wearing face coverings and are asymptomatic.
Rules are generally more lax for younger students in pre-kindergarten and elementary school – a recognition of the reality that younger children aren't likely to comply with social distancing and face mask requirements – and escalate gradually through middle school and into high school.
https://www.usnews.com/news/educati...dren-to-return-to-schools-despite-coronavirus
