[darkwizard42]

This comment seems a bit flippant. The choice was distance learning (something) vs. close down schools entirely and... ban students from learning at all?

There was a pandemic and I think in many districts they made as good a switch to digital learning as they could and tried to be effective. Unfortunately we had a black swan event so its a bit disingenuous to act like "we never learn"

[lithium_throw]

There was a pandemic that basically left kids untouched, and frankly barely registers on the scale of deadly pandemics for almost everyone else.

Let's at least be honest about it - the decision was made to avoid any risk of disease and close schools, and instead pass on the negative effects to those unable to prosper in the new learning regime. That is, those without private tuition, and/or a stable home environment with some kind of suitable space to focus on online learning. In my opinion, the education and welfare of children should be somewhere near the very top of any priority list, and in this case, we have utterly failed them in our scramble to be "Covid safe". Has anyone noticed that the near-retirement-age folks at the top of the power pyramid seem to be doing just fine, as they demanded everything be shut down to "protect" people like themselves? Fortunately, my kids are young enough that I may never have to tell them anything about this pandemic.

Edit: And do you know who will pay for all of this? Me, and people like me. I will be burdened with the societal and economic costs of this for the rest of my life, just because I have a decent enough job and a family I cannot fail.

[spookthesunset]

It’s not flippant at all! People you know in real life would scream in your face if you dared challenge the idea that kids have to be in school. In fact you still see this now!

When the average person thinks getting covid comes with a 10% chance of dying… this crazy reaction starts to make sense. People are literally terrified out of their minds by covid.

Source: http://covid19pulse.usc.edu/

[dustintrex]

Or do what Sweden did, and never close the schools at all, and still end up with overall mortality (across total population, not just kids) less than most US states.

[refurb]

I mean, plenty of countries never closed their schools down. Or at least not for very long. SF schools were closed from March 2020 to Aug 2021.

[lithium_throw]

And the governor of the fine state of CA sent his kids to private school for the entire time.

Also, closing school for "just" a year and half is an enormous disruption to education.

[spookthesunset]

A year and a half is an eternity for a kid. Remember how long summer break felt as a child? Or a whole year?

Society stole children’s childhood from them for a disease that doesn’t even affect kids.

[pgwhalen]

Surely there was a third option of keeping schools open. I’m not a parent and am not sure whether that was the right option, but that your comment doesn’t even acknowledge it is part of the problem.