Class Before Mas

 

‘It (school) gives them an opportunity to engage with people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures.’

ON Monday afternoon, before leaving the house my son held my face said, “I love you mummy.”

Looking into those sweet little innocent eyes of his and I replied, “I know, I love you too, which is why mummy has to go fight!”

I was one of the three hundred plus people that lined the Savannah with Open Schools TT demanding discussions on the reopening of schools be handled as a priority.

As I stood holding my placard in silence, a deep rage burned inside of me. It took every ounce of inner strength not to go full Watson Duke during that demonstration. Every morsel of self-control not to scream “open schools” at the top of my lungs, not to pitch my placard at every black heavily, tinted Government-looking Prado that passed by.

And all of this rage finally let loose on my drive home. I cried all the way home. I cried hot angry tears because I am beyond feeling sorry for my children, I feel angry for them.

I am angry that our country is one of the few nations to not have opened schools. I am angry that our Government seems to be prioritising everything else other than the education of our nation’s children.

What I find more disturbing is the lack of understanding by many in our population on the importance of opening schools. Schools are more than formal education, schools play a pivotal role in children social and psychological development.

School allows children and teenagers to develop a sense of individual identity outside of the home. It gives them an opportunity to engage with people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures. It serves as a tool to observe and learn socially acceptable and tolerant behaviours. It teaches social development, which is vital.

Education within schools is more than what is in a child’s textbook or what can be taught online.

Sadly many people, including our leaders fail to comprehend the importance of in-school education.

According to the opinion of many keyboard warriors, who are clear examples of why we need greater attention paid to our education system, I am fed up of homeschooling my children and am totally okay letting them get Covid so I can go back to spending my days going to the gym and getting my hair done.

(Ohhhh you are so lucky my editor gave me the “Alicia, please watch your language” warning.)

Firstly, let’s put in a pin in this “my children are safe at home” argument. Unless you stay at home 100% of the time with zero visitors, your children are not safe. You are busy going to the grocery, into crowded stores, into air-conditioned offices and liming with your friends and family, then coming home to your precious little crotch goblins. You are the risk to your children.

Also, I might add, the number of young children I have seen all over the place with their parents, many unmasked by the way, is amazing to me. So take your child into Pricesmart or the mall is safe but not schools? Yeah, you big and have no sense.

Medical experts all over the world have agreed that the opening of schools does not accelerate or worsen the spread of Covid-19 in communities. Children are not superspreaders.

“But my child doh like to wear a mask!” That’s your fault and problem. It’s called discipline. My children lived in masks for two weeks when my husband and I had the vid. At four and six we are able to educate them on the importance of wearing their masks to keep them safe. They might not have fully understood, and it wasn’t easy, but as a parent it was my job to keep on them and ensure they were doing the right thing.

“Schools don’t have need to sanitise, ever since before Covid.” If that was a problem before Covid, why didn’t you use your big opinioned voice to do something about it?

It’s easier to pass blame than to look in the mirror.

If you have a child who is immunocompromised or has an underlying condition, you should have the option of homeschooling your child… which is what Open Schools TT is proposing by the way.

It’s sad that the majority of our population cannot see the true importance of in-person schooling as a part of a holistic educational approach.

So cheers to the women behind Open Schools TT, who aren’t bored housewives, but are a group of medical and psychological experts, public and private school teachers.

Thank you for standing up for all of our nation’s children, even in the face of criticism and abuse by small-minded adults.

Lastly, not to be boastful but the slogan, “Class Before Mas” was my idea, definitely a crowning moment in my legacy.