OPINION: Desk shields in classrooms are useless and distracting

Now that we are all back, the Monroe Public Schools are taking precautions to keep students safe. This includes social distancing, masks, and desk shields. Without these precautions, who knows where we would be right now. One of these precautions are desk shields. However, desk shields are a distraction, a waste of space, and are useless when stopping the spread. 

Desk shields are required in every class, and they are constantly getting in the way of learning.  Studies have even shown that they are not effective in stopping the spread. Top health authorities say that the COVID-19 disease is aerosol and can work its way around objects. This would make the shields useless due to the fact that they can work their way around any object. The shields are set up to protect against the larger aerosols, not the smaller ones. 

The shield may also impede the airflow, leaving the COVID-19 aerosols aimlessly floating around. They are set up to block any germs from flowing from person to person. This just leaves the virus building up in one spot, waiting for the next person. The shields can endanger the people, more than helping.

Not only are they ineffective, but they can lead to countless distractions, whether that be them falling down, disrupting someone’s vision, or limiting the space they have. This leads to multiple problems. Students can’t focus or see, and the teacher is interrupted by these distractions as well.

As you can see, the shields are useless. They seem like a distraction, a waste of space, and they are useless when stopping the spread of any viruses.  Schools are setting them up everywhere and still think they are helping. However, desk shields just limit the learning students obtain, along with their social interactions with each other.