The Pros and Cons of Shutting Schools for Coronavirus

by Rebecca Cleary

  

According to UNESCO, educational institutions in 49 countries have been closed or will be closed in an attempt to prevent the spread of Covid-19, or Coronavirus. Country-wide school closures have affected 421,388,462 learners and localized school closures are estimated to affect even more.

So, with countries around the world including Italy and Japan imposing stringent measures to tackle Coronavirus, what should the UK be doing; is closing schools up and down the country the answer?

Well, some argue that closing schools would lead to worse issues. Dr Charlotte Jackson from UCL and Professor Keith Neal from the University of Nottingham both brought up the issue of childcare arrangements. If younger children aren’t at school, then they need someone to look after them. If the parents are medical professionals, staying at home would lead to a shortening of medical staff when they are needed most. So if parents need to make other arrangements, grandparents are a popular point of call, but this leads to an age group that are at a greater risk than children being potentially exposed to the virus.

Moreover, closing schools may lead to children potentially suffering academically or even issues with public exams, even when, as Professor Keith Neal said, “children do not seem to get serious illness with Covid-19.” So some may see closing schools for the age group that are least at risk, with only 9% of cases in February being teens and younger, as unnecessary.

On the other hand, many could argue that closing schools is beneficial for the containment of Coronavirus. Dr Thomas House from the University of Manchester said that the closure of schools “helps to contain the spread of infectection.” The argument for closing schools has been backed up with the studies of the 1918 Spanish flu, where it seems to be that some cities may have saved lives had they closed schools earlier.

There is also the argument that many teens travel to school using public transport, and if they have a mild form of the Coronavirus, or are simply carriers, then they might give it to someone else who may have underlying health issues or then pass it on again, creating a chain that could lead to loss of life.

This chain could also occur simply through family members, so a child carrying the virus could ultimately cause issues for elderly members of the family or even parents, as it is clear that as you get older, the virus affects you more.

Personally, if schools were to close, I would prefer it be sooner rather than later, not only because, being in Year 11, I don’t want any issues with exam timetables, but also it could be argued that the longer we leave it, the more the virus could spread more, with or without our knowledge.

Therefore, although closing schools creates issues related to childcare and academic progress, keeping them open could lead to a faster spread, which will potentially be passed through family members or on public transport. However, as Professor Keith Neal said, “it is too early to tell whether this is a sensible precaution or an overreaction.”