Have the Professional Educators Lost their minds?

What sort of people will our children be molded into if they go back to a masked, sanitized, socially isolated, school environment? Parents are you ok with this?

In my studies on child development I learned that social interactions and exploratory behaviors are critical for normal childhood development and learning.

My children’s school has decided to let children come back to school for face to face learning in the Philippines.

Hardly face to face, though! Each child is to submit a daily health questionnaire before arriving at school, to be temperature tested, to be masked (multi-layer cloth, surgical or higher grade masks required), to not be allowed to stay in school for lunch (too high risk if children get to take off their masks and interact during eating), to be permitted the shortest of short snack breaks, to be restrained to their dedicated desks in their separated classrooms at all times, to not be allowed within 1.5 m of another person, to be PCR tested at least weekly regardless of vaccination status or past covid history (because children are germy creatures), and to be strictly supervised to prevent any physical interactions with their peers, or teachers. No PE, no library, supervision in hallways and restrooms to prevent inadvertent interactions, no clubs.

Parent questions mostly revolved around wanting to be sure that ALL kids and ALL staff are vaccinated, prevention of possibly unwell kids entering the school, frequency of PCR testing, sanitation and ventilation, and whether the school could guarantee that vaccinated children would not catch covid (they could not guarantee this, only confirm that they would follow all DepED guidelines to the letter).

How is this ok? What sort of person will each child be molded into in such an environment of extreme caution, of fear? Solitary, isolated creatures, scared of others, scared of germs, scared of the environment. Quiet obedient compliant beings who follow imposed “rules and laws” (that was the wording by the school during the presentation), without question. Minions?

How will we build creative, thinking, exploring, socially adept members of society, tomorrow’s leaders with this approach? Will we keep our children “safe” from everything, including a normal human life, including their and our future?

We have had 2 years without face to face schooling in this beloved country at devastating cost to the education of many. However, I am simply horrified with what is now being proposed. Going back to this sort of school environment, with the psychological and psychic damage that will be inflicted, will surely be worse than not going back at all! Am I alone in these concerns? How can professional educators think this is ok? How can thinking parents welcome this?

Home schooling is beginning to look like a very real option!