According to the statement made by the Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk on the evening of March 25, students will continue their holiday until April 30.
Although we have taken important steps for social isolation to eliminate the coronavirus, one of the most difficult but necessary decisions was to close schools.
The biggest concern of many experts is that too many people can live at once. These people get sick very quickly and their care needs cannot be met due to high demand. The point is that if we get too many infections too quickly, the number of sick people may exceed the system's capacity to care for them. It is aimed to keep the number of patients at a manageable number by slowing down the interaction in the population with social isolation.
Pros of school holidays
For most children Although transmission of the virus does not cause a serious problem, it can become a carrier of the virus and infect individuals with low immunity. Adults can be given instructions on how to prevent person-to-person transmission and can be trusted to follow these instructions. However, these instructions are almost impossible for children, especially teenagers, to follow.
Students generally study in small classrooms where it is impossible to sit one meter apart, line up in groups to go to different classes, and sit next to each other during lunch breaks or breaks to chat and eat. Therefore, the school environment becomes one of the most suitable places for the spread of the disease.
In such a situation, it is not just children who need to worry. Many adults work in schools: teachers, security, cooks, cleaners and more. Keeping schools open means they are all at risk. They are likely more at risk than many other workers at businesses that have been previously closed.
Closing schools could make a big difference in preventing the spread of the virus, according to data from past disease outbreaks. A 2006 study in Nature about the flu epidemic found that school closures in the event of a pandemic He found that it could reduce the speed of instantaneous spread by 40 percent. Another 2016 study in BMC Infectious Diseases found that closing schools could reduce the rate of disease spread by up to 25 percent and the incidence of new cases by more than 50 percent.
Cons of school holidays
Children are a clear and present danger when it comes to flu. All of the research mentioned here so far is based on this. However, it is not known whether the studies necessarily apply to the coronavirus.
There is also an obvious downside to disruptions in education. Missing half term is a significant blow to education. It will take a lot of time and effort for many students to catch up with this lost process.
Students started taking online lessons this week, but no matter how dedicated and quality the work is done, unfortunately it will not be like face-to-face education for pre-school and primary school students. It is also a fact that some students do not have access to the internet or television.
Although working parents of children under the age of 12 are allowed to avoid being left alone at home, private sector employees are subject to mobbing from the workplace. It is quite clear. On the other hand, if the parent taking leave is a healthcare worker, the situation becomes an even more serious problem. During this period, many employees are expected to continue doing their jobs without anyone to care for their children.
What to do?
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Parents should supervise their children's study habits in a controlled manner during this period. Since young children's self-control, internal motivation, attention and perception are still developing, they may tend to consider this process as a complete holiday. Children who are just trying to get into the habit of doing homework or taking tests will be more confused when schools reopen if they are not monitored because we are experiencing "an uncertain process of what will happen in the future."
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Play weekly and daily lessons A training program should be created. Sports, art and music should also be added to the program.
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Children may tend to go to bed late and wake up late during this period. Parents need to help them regulate their sleep.
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The use of phones, tablets, computers and televisions should be limited, but never prohibited. Taking away the only way for children to communicate with their peers, who are already in a situation where they cannot socialize, will cause other problems.
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A family reading time should be established every day. This will help you and your child cope with stress, improve your vocabulary, relieve feelings of loneliness, and help your child better understand new types of questions.
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