August is officially back to school month, and with the ongoing cloud of COVID-19 hanging over everyone and everything, many teachers, students, parents, and educational support staff are concerned about the district's ability to protect their health and safety.
COVID-19 Cleaning to Cure Didaskaleinophobia
Didaskaleinophobia or Scholionophobia is the fear of going or returning to school.
It plagues children of every age and is commonly attributed to multiple external stimuli, including:
- Separation anxiety.
- Fear of bullies.
- Strict teachers, and;
- Unsafe learning environments.
Didaskaleinophobia is the fear of school or fear of going to school.
Nearly 2 to 5% of school-going children is known to be inflicted with such phobia.
Kids are often known to “play truant” or skip school.
However, the kids who do so aren’t always afraid of school- anger or boredom are the more common reasons behind their behavior.
In the case of Didaskaleinophobes, the mere thought of going to school can trigger a full-blown panic attack.
However, according to some of the latest LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index research, 36% of education professionals responding to the survey cited a lack of facility cleanliness and sanitation as a top concern regarding a return to normal class scheduling.
This information follows in the footsteps of a USA Today/Ipsos poll that 1 in 5 teachers and, potentially, 6 out of 10 students will not be returning to the classroom this fall.
In an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos poll, 1 in 5 teachers says they are unlikely to go back to school if their classrooms reopen in the fall, a potentially massive wave of resignations.
Though most teachers report working more than usual, nearly two-thirds say they haven't been able to properly do their jobs in an educational system upended by the coronavirus.
A separate poll of parents with at least one child in grades K-12 finds that 6 in 10 say they would be likely to pursue at-home learning options instead of sending back their children this fall.
Nearly a third of parents, 30%, say they are "very likely" to do that.
Back to school? 1 in 5 teachers are unlikely to return to reopened classrooms this fall, poll says
That outcome could be extremely problematic for several reasons.
The Case for Returning to the Classroom
For some parents and educators, the option to school from home may be extremely desirable for many reasons.
For other families, the absence of public services provided by the schools will likely lead to adverse outcomes in regards to physical and mental health, as well as social and psychological development.
According to Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
I don’t think I can emphasize it enough, as the director for the Centers for Disease Control, the leading public health agency in the world, it is in the public health interest of these K-12 students to get the schools back open for face-to-face learning.
Mental health services, 7.1 million kids get in school.
Nutrition, we talked about.
Reporting of child abuse, sexual abuse: mandatory in schools.
The isolation that these adolescents are feeling, that now is associated with increased—as you mentioned—increased drug overdose deaths and now increased suicides.
I think it is really important, as a grandfather, eleven grandkids, I want these kids back in school.
I have one grandchild with cystic fibrosis.
I want it done smartly, alright?
But, I think we have to be honest that the public health and interest of the students in the nation right now is to get a quality education and face-to-face learning when you do get on with it.
CDC Director Says 'It Is in the Public Health Interest' to Reopen Schools for K-12 Students
The Directors stance is substantiated by a small study conducted by Swiss health officials, which found:
In a Swiss study of 39 households, only 8% had a child as the suspected index case, with Covid-19 symptom onset preceding illness in adult household contacts.
Along with other research, the findings offer early reassurance that school-based transmission could be a manageable problem, especially for elementary school-aged children who appear to be at the lowest risk of infection.
Safety Tips for Safely Returning to the Classroom
Before the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, classroom cleanliness and hygiene in public schools and universities across the nation, especially during cold and flu season, was a recurring challenge.
Understaffed and undertrained in-house custodial teams, using outdated equipment that likely spread more germs than they removed, were tasked with the herculean task of maintaining basic levels of sanitation in a dynamic environment filled with active children and young adults who, even at the best of times, likely did not practice the most desirable levels of hand hygiene.
Now, with far more at stake than the recurring economic disaster that is the yearly influenza season, little choice remains but to implement stringent health and safety measures, including:
- Enhanced cleaning protocols that emphasize surface cross-contamination prevention.
- Advanced cleaning technologies--especially no-touch disinfection appliances--which reduce labor time and costs while increasing surface hygiene.
- Ongoing training for in-house custodial teams.
- Touchpoint disinfection kits and training for teachers and other faculty in charge of dedicated facility spaces, and;
- Day porter services to ensure restroom and dining areas are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected based on occupancy and use.
References & Resources
- Back to School Month - August 2020
- These three industries worry most about returning to the workplace
- Classroom cleanliness a concern during COVID-19 for Volusia Schools
- Safety tips for returning to school during COVID-19
Takeaway
For better or worse, one way or another, school, if it hasn't started online in your household yet, is on for this fall.
Taking a step back from the political discourse, our personal feelings, and the wild-west show currently preoccupying our media, it is possible to discern several facts.
- It is entirely possible to leverage enhanced cleaning and personal hygiene measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and;
- School-aged children, while not immune, do not appear to pass the virus to others at anywhere approaching the rate of adults.
While initially, this may be of little comfort to older teachers who feel forced to return to the classroom, additional mounting evidence suggests a failure to do so will lead to much more devastating and far-reaching problems for the children if they are not allowed to return to the classroom.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale CA, or Lancaster CA, call (661) 371-4756
