Why reopening schools is the right decision

Opinion: 'we know more now than we did previously about the harms children experience when schools are closed for prolonged periods'

There has been a lot of discussion of late about the rights and wrongs of reopening schools in Ireland for the new term. The decision is an exceptionally complex one, and there are legitimate concerns about any possible course of action. Here, we will examine the issues arising through the lens of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

The case for delaying or staggering reopening is based on concern that the exceptional transmissibility of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, and emerging evidence of its greater impact on children compared to previous waves, will result in increased harm both to children themselves and to the school staff and family members with whom they come into contact. As such, the right to health (Article 24 CRC) may be cited in support of closures.

However, we know more now than we did in March 2020 or January 2021 (when previous school closures occurred) about the harms that children experience when schools are closed for prolonged period. A large body of evidence both from Ireland and internationally displays consistent trends in this regard.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's News At One, Prof Conor O'Mahony highlights the negative impacts of school closures

Most obviously, the right to education (Article 28 CRC) was adversely impacted. In spite of tireless efforts by teachers to provide online learning, this could not fully substitute for in-person learning. In a survey of 3,301 12-year-olds, 53% reported having difficulty with study. 27% of respondents in another survey of 797 parents of primary school children reported that they did not feel that their child continued to learn during school closures in 2020. This figure rose to 38% of parents of children with disabilities.

The shortfall was particularly pronounced for disadvantaged and marginalised children, including children with special educational needs and children lacking access to technology or suitable study spaces (including, but not limited to, members of the Traveller and Roma communities and children living in direct provision centres).

Importantly, decisions on school closures are not merely a straight trade-off between education and health. The impact on children's rights is more extensive than this. Even within the category of health, the picture is complex. School closures protect the physical health of children, but were also associated with negative impacts flowing from a more sedentary lifestyle and increased consumption of junk food.

From RTÉ Radio 1's Today With Claire Byrne, a discussion on concerns around the Omicron variant as schools are set to reopen after the Christmas break

Moreover, evidence indicates that they have a seriously adverse and potentially lasting impact on children’s mental health, as documented in research by SpunOut, Barnardos and the Ombudsman for Children. The Irish Youth Foundation documented what they described as a "mental health catastrophe"; 82% of youth workers predicted serious long-term damage to the mental health of young people in their communities. They suggested that future fallout will include a rise in early school leaving and in criminality or anti-social behaviour, as well as increased cycles of poverty and diminished resilience.

This is coupled with impacts on other rights of children, including the right to development (Article 6 CRC) and the right to engage in play and recreational activities (Article 31 CRC). School closures contributed to children being isolated from their peers, unable to engage in sports and other recreational activities, and had a significant impact on their social development. A study of 48 Irish families, led by Dr Katriona O'Sullivan from Mayooth University, reported that children were "socially withdrawn and socially isolated". Parents described children going "into themselves" and becoming shy, and were more concerned about this impact on their children than about the academic impact of loss of schooling.

At the extreme end, school closures had a serious impact on the right of some children to be protected from violence, abuse and neglect (Article 19 CRC). Social workers depend on child protection referrals to identity children at risk and respond to their needs. Teachers are a key source of such referrals, since they are usually the adults who have most contact with children outside of their families.

From RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, listeners dicuss the pros and cons of reopening schools amid high cases of Covid-19

During school closures, numbers of child protection referrals fell significantly (before rebounding to normal levels when schools reopened); this is all the more notable given the evidence that levels of domestic violence were significantly higher than usual during the same periods, as documented by Women’s Aid, SAFE Ireland, the ISPCC and Childline. There is a strong degree of consensus among child protection professionals that school closures led to more children experiencing more harm for longer than would have been the case if schools had been open.

School closures also exposed children to increased risks of harm online, since they were spending considerably greater periods engaged in unsupervised online activity (especially as parents juggled work and child care commitments). This included significant increases in the frequency and severity of cyberbullying, as well as heighted risk of grooming or other online exploitation. Europol documented that online forums designed to facilitate the exchange of child sexual abuse material contained "enthusiastic messages about the opportunities provided when children will be online more than before".

None of this is to say that the concerns about the risk to health associated with in-person school attendance should be ignored. On the contrary, a children’s rights approach demands that we protect children from both the adverse consequences of school closures, and from the risks to health associated with in-person attendance.

From RTÉ Six One News, Prof Conor O'Mahony highlights the negative impacts of school closures

This means that it is incumbent on Government to take all practicable measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in schools. There is a menu of available measures in this regard, including (but not limited to) mechanical ventilation; HEPA filters; antigen testing; contact tracing; facemasks, and vaccines. Moreover, it is necessary to make arrangements for the most effective possible distance learning for children who are unable to attend in-person classes due to medical vulnerability on their own part or on the part of a member of their household.

Responding to these issues present enormous challenges for children, school staff, parents and Government. Nonetheless, a children’s rights approach demands that we tackle these challenges, and avoid the predictable harms that will flow from a simplistic approach of either closing schools when the incidence of Covid-19 is high, or keeping them open without adequate safeguards in place. The decision to reopen schools in January addresses one part of this delicate balancing act. The onus is now on Government to ensure that it provides the necessary policy measures and resources to allow schools to address the other part.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

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