By Anton Dedvukaj
It appears as though the end of the pandemic is somewhat in sight. With several competing vaccines ramping up distribution, it finally appears that we are within reach of the end of this year-long struggle against the virus. As a result, there have been talks about reopening Irvington schools and making adjustments so that we can return to school outside of the hybrid schedule. But, this ultimately begs the question: is this even a good idea or is it too soon?
Well, it is really tough to say. I have no doubt that the IHS educators and staff want what’s best for us and our health. So far, they’ve also done a fairly good job keeping us in school with the hybrid model for as long as possible, with only four days having been fully remote outside of the established hybrid model thus far. That being said, trying to reopen school fully with COVID-19 restrictions in place is a daunting task and a tall order for the staff to meet.
Here’s where I stand. If, and only if, the staff finds a way to safely reinstate full in-person learning, with restrictions in place and without serious risk to anyone’s health, then I am in support of them moving forward with the idea. I have some ideas as to how we could do it, such as allowing quarantined students or those that wish to remain fully virtual to continue taking classes remotely.
However, I also would like to stress that I feel that this is only plausible once most teachers are vaccinated, at the very least, given that the vaccine isn’t yet available to students. I realize that you can’t force everyone to get vaccinated, but the option for all teachers to do so should at least be in place before we consider any serious overhaul to the schedule. And then, once students gain access to the vaccine, the idea should become even easier to implement.
As of now, it’s looking more and more likely that the 2021-22 school year will go back to some semblance of normality with all of the advancements currently being made to fight this pandemic. And it seems it may even come sooner than that, potentially before the 2020-21 school year is over.
However, I personally only think that this will be a good idea once the proper safety measures and precautions are taken. Once the staff deems it safe to do so, with real evidence that it is, then I am definitely ready to see school reopen and return to the way it was before the pandemic.
