Schools Should Be Open and School Choice Should Be Universal – Opinion

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It is absurd to see scores of schools closing for individual learning as we approach year 3 of the pandemic.

First, the Omicron strain is less transmissible and more lethal than COVID-19’s original strain and Delta variant. Omicron has been found in South Africa. No deaths were reported from Omicron-related infections there.

According to Gyaneshwar Chaubey, a professor of genetics at Banaras Hindu University, “It can be concluded that the mortality rate of Omicron is much lower than other variants of the virus. Recent studies have suggested that it infects fast but multiply 12 times less than the Delta variant, it is perhaps due to this reason, it is not causing any severity.”

Additionally, COVID-19 is generally not a health risk for children.

At the moment, COVID-19 has killed 558 Americans aged between five- and eighteen years. Even though each one of these tragic deaths is unacceptable, you should consider that more children were killed in accidents with cars and other causes than those who died due to COVID-19.

Dritte, it is well-known that in-person learning is superior to remote learning.

Per a recent study from McKinsey & Company:

“Our analysis shows that the impact of the pandemic on K–12 student learning was significant, leaving students on average five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the school year. This pandemic increased preexisting opportunities and achievement gaps. It also hit historically poor students the hardest. Students in predominantly Black schools finished the year with six months’ unfinished learning while those in lower-income schools completed seven. Students in high school are more likely than ever to leave school. High school graduates, particularly those who come from low income families, have a lower likelihood of going on to higher education. And the crisis had an impact on not just academics but also the broader health and well-being of students, with more than 35 percent of parents very or extremely concerned about their children’s mental health.”

But this hasn’t stopped American teacher union representatives from sounding alarms, calling for remote learning.

Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), a local union representing more than 300,000 Chicagoans, recently voted in favor of removing in-person education for the future. It could mean that over 300,000 students will fall further behind academic eight-ball.

Per CTU, “Tonight, as educators, parents, neighbors and community members we had to make the tough decision to support a resolution to return to remote learning in our city’s public schools. This decision was made with a heavy heart and a singular focus on student and community safety.”

In response, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot delivered a pointed message to CTU, saying, “If you care about our students, if you care about our families, as we do, we will not relent. It’s enough. We will not give up and fight for our children’s access to real-person learning. Period. Full stop.”

Lightfoot added, “We owe that to our children who suffered learning loss.”

Although I rarely agree with Lightfoot’s policy positions, I am in full agreement with her when it comes to stressing the importance of in-person learning and her hardline stance with CTU.

I hope more mayors, governors, and elected officials follow the lead of Lightfoot in holding the teacher unions’ feet to the fire.

For years, teacher unions have put their members’ interests above all else, including the students under their stead. Most teacher unions’ reprehensible behaviour during the pandemic when they used every excuse to avoid showing up to work has shown that school choice is an ultimate remedy to their monopolistic power.

Chris Talgo ([email protected]) The Heartland Institute’s senior editor.