US President Donald Trump has advised teachers over the age of 60 to not teach in a school for a while when the education system reopens in select states. On Wednesday, Trump made a statement about teachers when the president signed a proclamation in honor of National Nurses Day at the White House. Point to be noted that Trump and his administration needed schools to open up wherever possible amidst the coronavirus epidemic. He also admitted the option would not be safe for all teachers. This suggestion was initially brought up when the president sat down with Fox News on Sunday for a virtual town hall in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
A student asked the president how she could feel safe returning to school amidst the fears of the 2nd wave of COVID-19. Trump replied and said, “So when you go back and you have one problem that is a bigger problem, and that’s teachers over 60 or 65 years old, the teachers”. It is noteworthy that the coronavirus has affected more people over the age of 60 and those who have previous medical conditions. Schools in the United States closed down from March due to fears not only students contracting the virus but of them spreading it to other people, like their parents, who are more at risk to become gravely ill.
It is important that In response to the shuttering of schools, teachers relied on virtual learning practices so they could still educate their students through the end of the academic year. 46 states and Washington DC have announced the school will remain closed through the end of the academic school year. President Trump expressed his hope that a majority of schools would reopen come September, with older teachers remaining at home. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidance during Covid-19. The new guideline says schools in the US should prepare for intermittent closures in the future. But it depends on how the novel virus continues to infiltrate communities.