The Call for Apolitical Public Education

Although America’s political parties are as divided as ever, it would be expected that the education of our country’s youth would be spared from the conflict. However, the year 2020, composed of brimming racial tensions, the coronavirus, and a presidential election, illuminated the goals of the left within our nation’s system of education. Following endless months of lockdown, many of our nation’s primary schools remain closed, and most universities are operating entirely through a virtual learning program. When schools do manage to let children inside, every aspect of study is infused with the progressive agenda. At some point, we must focus our attention in education policy on the children.

The coronavirus allowed powerful Democrats to involve themselves in the daily life of the average American. Removing President Trump from office stood as their paramount goal, and they were willing to cease all in-person education to achieve it. Evidence of this deceit lies in the push by teachers unions and state governments to shutter school buildings in the absence of evidence regarding high contagion rates in student populations.

In fact, a study published this week by seven academic researchers shows that the manner of instruction– in-person, online, or hybrid– does not contribute to community spread. Furthermore, a study run in the New York Public School System illustrated the lack of danger posed by the coronavirus in learning centers by uncovering that transmission rates between students stood below a half of a percent. Beyond the virtual classroom, online learning poses a threat to the mental health and wellbeing of students. Recent studies show that hospital visits for mental health concerns have skyrocketed with the proportion of mental health related visit to emergency departments increasing 24% and 31% for children ages 5-11 and 12-17, respectively.  Students are falling behind in math, with students grades 3-8 scoring 5-10 points lower on math assessments compared to the previous year.

Nevertheless, unions across the country have staged strikes to force school districts to cave to their demands for increased public health restrictions. Regardless of the evidence, major school districts in New York, California, North Carolina, and others remain completely shuttered creating a lower quality learning experience for children and added difficulties for their parents.

Clearly, recent state education decisions have been politically motivated. Rather than prioritizing students, the 2020 election was considered the chief concern. Our education system should not be riddled with malicious party politics, and children should be spared from the political theater endorsed by Democrats to express their displeasure with President Trump. For the sake of the future of our country’s children, open schools.

Niv Valdespino is an intern at Accuracy in Academia.

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