Social Distancing To Hit Schools Hard
The novel coronavirus has created gashes in our society that will take many months (possibly years) to recover from. From infecting our most vulnerable, to disturbing our every daily lives, it seems the pandemic affects all those standing in its path. One of the groups most affected by the virus is the approximately 1.5 million preschool and elementary students returning to school after nearly two months of school closure. As a result of the virus, they are now forced to adapt to the new social distancing regulations, which, some say may end up traumatizing their future in the long run.
Take for instance preschoolers in France. A viral photo has circulated the internet depicting preschool students playing whilst kept at a distance from each other by chalk-made squares. Lionel Top, a local reporter living in Tourcoing, France took to Twitter to share the image that has gone viral with about 15,000 retweets.
Top described the mood in the playground as, “very strange, even disturbing”. Despite this, he did mention the little ones did not seem to care or show any visual devastation by it. “They laughed and played together but from far away,” said Top.
Les enfants font leur rentrée aujourd’hui (un petite partie d’entre-eux plutôt).
Ambiance très étrange, voire dérangeante… pic.twitter.com/g91y5hLatJ— Lionel Top (@lioneltop) May 12, 2020
“The children play, dance, jump, laugh together…but from this square. From what we have seen, they do not view it as a punishment.”
A multitude of people have shown their distastefulness for the state of things by commenting on the images.
One such person was historian Laurence De Cock. “I can’t get over this,” he said. “This image is heartbreaking. We can’t call this ‘school’”
The New Norm
Some have even called the entire process, “dystopian” due to what looks like children not having a pleasant experience in what should be a normal experience in school.
Other people wrote things like, “children will be more traumatized to resume in conditions in these conditions then to stay home,” to show their clear disapproval of the state of things.
Moreover, children are also being asked to follow safety precaution methods to mitigate the spread of the virus. In Normandy town of Val-de-Reuil, students are required to wear protective gear such as protective visors, according to the Val-de-Reuil Twitter account.
Professors and instructors have voiced their worried sentiments about the students returning this soon; worrying that the new adjustments might overwhelm the students and disturb their mental space. We’re now seeing students having to physically take precaution by sitting desks away from each other and also seeing their teacher’s wear surgical masks. Everyone is under the order of social distance and cannot share anything.
The Future Will Never Be The Same
This truly sad to hear let alone watch. These are pivotal years in the development of a child. Socializing is a key component in the development of a young child and becomes increasingly more important as they age further. We really do live in strange times.
According to the latest numbers in France, there are about a total of 27,074 deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic and approximately 178,060 cases of Coronavirus throughout the country. Although British school programs currently have students staying inside at home, the government has an ongoing plan, or “roadmap” that could possibly see students returning to attendance as early as June 1st.
The situation seems to grow more desperate by the day during these harsh times. Now that it has breached the sanctity of the younger generation, our only plan of action is to hope that nothing worsens and that our continued efforts prove to be worthwhile in the end for the sake of children everywhere.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
