37. ELEMENTARY LOGIC - Why UK Schools Must Close Now

The advice of the UK government is clear:

1) COVID-19 can cause great harm to many vulnerable people and is spread easily through populations, sometimes even from people displaying no symptoms.

2) So to reduce its spread we must avoid mass gatherings from pubs, to theatres, to restaurants, to workplaces. If you can work from home, you should. If you don’t have to go out, don’t. Not even to visit family and friends.

Yet…

3) Schools will remain open.

This despite the fact:

a) Schools are mass gatherings of hundreds, if not 1000+ people, including many adults who work there as teachers, admin support, kitchen staff, cleaners, caretakers, etc. who fall into the vulnerable categories.

b) Students often travel to school on public transport.

c) Students return to their families or carers after school, which include adults who fall into the vulnerable categories and may still be having to interact with others based on their occupations.

d) Students don’t actually understand the severity of the issue and do “hilarious” games like cough as if they are ill (including on each other) to get a reaction whilst genuinely spraying their potentially infected fluids around the classroom in the name of comedy; and fail to wash their hands repeatedly, because…

e) Schools of 1000+ people don’t actually have the facilities for their entire staff and student body to properly wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and hot water upon entry, before eating, and before leaving. Let alone other hygiene requirements (such as cleaning door handles touched by 30+ Students after every lesson).

In other words: premise 1) and 2) make conclusion 3) incoherent, and yet the government continue to advocate 3).

In the name of public health, but also sense and logic, we must close all UK schools now.

Author: D.McKee (asthmatic, vulnerable teacher being forced to put myself at risk every day my school remains open)