Home is not ‘safe’ for all students

As states and school districts have begun to release their plans for reopening schools, it is clear that there is no consensus on the issue. There is widespread concern that the classrooms will be unsafe for teachers, students, and other school personnel.

There is also an eerie silence surrounding a critical issue: What about the children who are not safe at home? The real danger and the actual damage of not having the option to attend school are endured by at-risk children.

After the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, the effects of decisions made now will have lifetime impacts on children. In Pennsylvania, reports of abuse to ChildLine in May were down 40% from the previous year. New York City reported a 51% drop in reported child abuse cases since schools were closed in March. Teachers are the leading reporters of suspected abuse.

Since March, teachers have only had glimpses of vulnerable students, and some have not been seen at all. As reported by the New York Times in June, while people have been “staying safe indoors,” many children have been confined to the most dangerous place they can be. Stories of neglect and abuse since the onset of the COVID-19 are frequently reported in local newspapers, yet this issue is not getting attention from the national media and policy makers.

There is no easy solution to reopening public schools. But the people making these decisions must openly acknowledge that home is not “safe” for all students. If lawmakers and school districts determine it is safer to remain closed, they need to recognize that their decision will cause vulnerable children to suffer increased instances of maltreatment. There are risks and benefits that need to be weighed, and the physical well-being of our country’s children must be at the forefront of these discussions. CINDY CIPOLETTI

Executive Director Learning Disabilities Association of America

Mt. Lebanon