Dear Editor:
Re: Editorial: Raise your hand if you have questions about B.C.’s back-to-school plan
Your final paragraph says it all:
“At the end of the day, however, there is no risk-free plan, and no option without downsides. We’re all being forced to make the best of a bad situation. We’re prepared to trust the experts who’ve contained our pandemic so far, knowing that changing circumstances will warrant a changing response.”
Some teachers and parents will be faced with difficult decisions based on their personal circumstances, but we must also keep in mind the needs of the students. High school students may have to step up to the plate and really ensure they practise distancing in their interactions. They do transmit the virus like adults, and they do like and need to socialize, so it will be a challenge, but I'd like to think they're up to it. If they're not, I believe Dr. Bonnie Henry has confidence that the health care system has learnt how to manage it.
We can't just wait for a vaccine, because even if one is available soon (next year), it may not
offer long-term immunity.
As a retired high school teacher, I know how important academic studies are, but at this point, I'm more concerned about the students' mental and emotional health. They need to be safely in school.
Elaine Perreten
West Vancouver
