Schools: Open them to keep youth busy and safe

Pierce County health director Anthony Chen blames the recent surge in COVID-19 cases on families “driving all over the state” and young people “hanging out with friends” (TNT 7/31).

Yet he insists schools should remain closed. Excuse me, but if you want to stop people from traveling or jumping off piers, the best solution is to send kids back to school! (Or to college or jobs.)

It’s time to reopen parks, colleges, libraries, museums, businesses and other educational, child-friendly venues. Our youth need supervised, constructive activities in well-organized, social environments.

It’s unhealthy and boring to sit in front of a computer all day. Can you spell “sedentary lifestyle?” Even suburban kids are getting restless and acting like they’re in “The Lord of the Flies.”

There are many ways to make schools both safe and effective. One method is replacing the archaic semester system with a more flexible schedule.

Six-week blocks of classes would make it easier to organize different shifts or close schools during coronavirus or flu epidemics.

This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 8:09 AM with the headline "Schools: Open them to keep youth busy and safe."