OPINION: Lack of quarantine accommodations makes school impossible

At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, schools everywhere did whatever they could to accommodate the problems that COVID-19 brought to students. School was fully online, teachers were easy to reach, and steps were taken to make sure that students were not falling behind from home. Coming back to school now, all of these accommodations have been taken away.

When students get quarantined now, they are told to check Google Classroom as their source of staying up to date. Students have to try and stay caught up in classes that have hard curriculums when they can be missing up to ten class periods. This is making students struggle to come back and be caught up with the work.

When school went online, it was the opening to so many possibilities. Though it was not a completely enjoyable experience for many, having Zoom classes did make sure that students could keep up with the in-class conversations, which is arguably one of the most important parts of learning. So, why is the school not still utilizing this resource? Students having the ability to still attend classes in the time they are not allowed in the classroom would help them not to fall behind.

Along with that, just trying to do assignments that are posted on Google Classroom or trying to return and do the assignments when the rest of the class has moved on is difficult for students. Not to mention it is hard on students and teachers to try and find time to make up the work with only having the TFT free period once a week, especially since many students are not able to stay after school.

It is extremely important to have students quarantine when they are exposed to somebody or they themselves test positive for COVID-19 for everyone’s health and safety. But, while trying to keep others safe shouldn’t students have the ability to keep up in their classes? School is hard enough when in the classroom, but students trying to catch up after quarantining is so much more. Being more accommodating to these students in this difficult situation would make a world of difference.