Families, communities, and nations are stronger when the rising generation is well taught, and schools are the place where most of them gain their education. President Donald Trump has been saying for a couple of months that schools need to open, and he even threatened to withhold money from states that do not open their schools.
Dr. Anthony Fauci and Democrats have been
holding back on this topic, but they have apparently changed their minds. Fauci
encouraged the nation to use the “default principle” in making this big decision.
The default principle should be to try as
best you can to get the children back to school. The big, however, and
qualifier in there is that you have to have a degree of flexibility. The
flexibility means if you look at the map of our country, we are not
unidimensional with regard to the level of infection.
The bottom line is everybody should try
within the context of the level of infection that you have to get the kids back
to school, … but the primary consideration … should be the safety, health and
the welfare of the children, as well as the teachers and the potential
secondary effects on parents and family members.
Fauci further explained that the
psychological and physical wellbeing of children should be protected –
particularly those children “who rely heavily on school for proper nutrition” –
and to prevent a “negative downstream ripple effect” for overburdened parents.
He said that children in “green states” should get back in school using proper
precautions used in general society. States with “smoldering infections” might
be wise to use the hybrid models for now. States with “high infections” may
want to wait before sending children back to school.
Fauci is not the biggest surprise.
After all, he does work with President Trump and should give the appearance of
being supportive. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is an entirely
different matter. However, Schumer admitted today that schools must open to
help the economy to recover regardless of efforts to control and contain
COVID-19. “If we don’t open up the schools, you’re going to hurt the economy
significantly because lots of people can’t go to work…. Executive orders leave
out schools altogether.”
Apparently, Trump’s threat to issue
an executive order to “address some economic issues, including unemployment
benefits, rental foreclosures, and student loans” influenced Schumer. He and
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have refused to negotiate in good
faith with Republicans and the President on an economic relief package for
COVID-19. Both sides were blaming the other, but Schumer blamed Republicans for
not being willing to “include funding to help schools reopen safely.”
Trump may or may not have constitutional
authority to issue such an executive order because all funding must originate
in the House of Representatives – the House holds the purse strings of the
nation. However, Trump’s threat brought action from Schumer and hopefully from
other Democrats. It will be good if the politicians can work together to get
the children and teens back in school. School helps the rising generation with
physical wellbeing as well as staying psychologically and socially healthy. Children’s
attendance at school strengthens homes, communities, and nations.
No comments:
Post a Comment