Parental choice for masks in schools

In March 2020, our world drastically changed with COVID-19. From social distancing to Zoom meetings and online education, everything in our lives was upended. Elderly people in nursing homes were dying and our front-line workers were angels among us. It was a scary time and we didn’t know very much about the pandemic. Slowly, and over time, life has become more normal for many of us. Some of us have returned to in-office work, we’re socializing more and more and thanks to science, we know more about COVID.

As we enter year three, it is clear that COVID has taken a hard toll on our children. Anxiety, suicide rates and depression in our children have increased significantly.

We also saw a requested increase in my town’s special education budget directly linked to the struggles students are facing. We’ve also learned that many of our kids are facing issues with mask wearing where it may impair nonverbal communication cues, and it can be a barrier to socialization and overall learning.

It’s time now to give parents a choice when it comes to masks.

Indoor mask requirements in the early stage of the pandemic were crucial. As we continue to follow the science, the data has become clear — children should no longer be required to wear masks in schools. When I go to stores, I often wear a mask for my own personal reasons but parents should decide what is best for their child. With the abundance of federal COVID funds, the state should also (1) include a remote option to be made available for those with documented higher risk for severe COVID or have a loved one in their home at higher risk and (2) bolster afterschool and summer programs so kids who have fallen behind can catch up.

We need elected leaders to speak publicly and passionately for our children and not make decisions based on the political whim of the day. Gov. Lamont’s executive order powers should not be extended, school mask mandates must end and our children need to be children and see their classmates and teachers’ faces again.

Brian Farnen Fairfield