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Should My Kids Go To School in 2020?

Should My Kids Go To School in 2020?




by Justin Atkins

Covid-19 has put the entire world in turmoil. But the biggest question of all is; should I send my kid to school in this environment? We have an answer!


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Some parents can’t wait for their kids to go back to school while others are more apprehensive of the fact. Although we all know that there is a risk of sending our children back to school opinions vary, and a recent poll which we conducted has shown just how strongly parents and teachers feel about the future of South African schooling in 2020.

Is it safe for my kids to go to school? Nobody ever thought that would be a question all South African School Parents would be asking, but 2020 has changed all of that (and then some). Ever since the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, which resulted in one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, South Africa changed forever. This has resulted in many moms and dads asking themselves what the future holds for their children, and how is it possible to keep their kids safe in a school while Covid-19 remains a clear and present danger.

With this in mind we asked a few pertinent questions of our website visitors, and one thing is clear - both teachers and parents want to keep our children safe from harm! Yes, no surprise there you might say, but the fact is for once the vast majority of South Africans who took part in this poll agreed, and that in itself is something you don’t see everyday.

So Should The Kids Go To School?

Let's first look at the results and while doing so discuss the facts:

Covid-19 Back To School survey Results

Which of the following describe you?

If you have kids, what age group are they?

Do you feel kids should be back in school?

At what Level do you feel re-opening the schools would be safe?

Would you support Home Schooling?

Where do you think social distancing can work?

How do you feel about Schools' proposed way of reopening?

Do you feel sending children back to School will put your household at risk?

Do you feel parents should pay School Fees?

Who should be paying teachers’ salaries during the Pandemic?

Do you feel Temperature Scanners will be Effective?

Will masks, screens and shields work?

What is your view on Hand sanitizers?

Should we be concerned about saving the school year?

Who of these do you support with Covid-19 decisions about Schooling?

It’s never going to be easy to pinpoint exactly what the right thing to do for your child is, but there are a few critical factors that you’re not only going to have to consider but will also have to enforce in your family. Even more so if you’re the parents!

Know What’s Happening!

These are without a doubt strange and uncertain times, but that’s no excuse for not knowing what is happening both at your kids school, in the neighbourhood and nationally. However, it is important to shut out the fake or inaccurate news and rely on proven credible sources. Sensationalism does nobody any favours, so be sure to check the facts behind what you read or are told. We suggest both local and national news sites such as News24, Mail & Guardian, Sowetan Live, Daily Maverick and ENCA. Alternatively you can sign up for Google News, and have Covid-19 as well as other top local international and local news stories delivered directly to your favourite browsing device. And let's not forget the South African Schools themselves! Engage with your child's school, the teachers and the administratores whenever possible and they will share the facts of what is happening in your shields school with you.

Understand the Disease!

According to a report posted on Parent24* in an interview with Professor Claudia Gray, a local Paediatrician and Subspecialist Allergologist, she reported that:

"Children generally handle the novel coronavirus much better than adults, and a child’s chance of dying from other viruses such as chickenpox or influenza or by car accident are in fact higher that that from Covid-19."**

Furthermore she added that in a recently released report it was stated that:

"transmission from child to adult and probably from child to child seems uncommon from current literature."**

Please note however that Professor Gray did add that vulnerable employees, learners or vulnerable families should be identified and 'shielded'. If you feel that your family falls within this category we strongly suggest that to chat to your child or children's school before sending them back.


Keep it Clean!

All children returning to school should wear washable, reusable cloth face masks or face shields, and please ensure that your child is well versed in good hand hygiene procedures. Ensure that disinfection occurs once your child is home, and if possible a shower or bath should happen when returning home and not just later in the day or before school.

Is it Safe to Send Kids Back to School Before the Pandemic is Over?

In an interview with Parent24 Professor Gray, the previously referenced local Paediatrician and Subspecialist Allergologist*, had this to say:

"As a paediatrician and mother-of-4, I would say YES!"

She further went on to note in her report that the "benefits of school generally outweigh the risks, and children are not Covid-superspreaders, and are more likely to catch the SARS CoV2 virus from adults at home than from friends at school." She further added that:


"Ring-fencing and shielding vulnerable children, families and educators will be part of the preparation. Astute and thorough preparation of schools to have Covid-19 prevention strategies in place as best they can is essential."**

And the Answer Is!

Although it is clear that many parents do agree that schools need to open for all grades, it is even clearer that both parents and teachers who responded to our questions have serious concerns as to whether this is the right decision. Is it too risky to return to school and expose our kids to infection? The truth is we can only make informed decisions, but it does seem that when you take a look at online parenting groups and social media, many families are going to opt for homeschooling for the rest of the year.

It is interesting to note that nearly 70% of all people who took part in our poll responded that it is a BAD idea to send our kids back to school in July 2020.

Just 19,6% of respondents said they would send their kids to school!

To view the full surveys results visit us on Facbeook here





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