There’s some important missing context on the “Covid is not nothing” bit. Two new studies with far more rigorous designs really undermine the conclusions of the VA database data trawls. Covid is not nothing, but it is now nothing out of the ordinary when studies are properly controlled:
Aloha - commenting on the fact that many students of the Los Angeles school district have excessive absenteeism following COVID lockdowns. Several questions arise:
1. Is it safe to be in school? My brothers tell me that in High School they were repeatedly attacked, beat up, and verbally abused in what should have been a "safe" school as we lived in a middle class neighborhood. The reason? They got good grades. The violence occurred on the school campus, in the presence of the teachers and administrative staff. I've seen worse violence especially in the local middle schools.
2. Is the curriculum interesting and challenging? If it's same old, of course kids will cut if they can get away with it. Their parents are currently dropping out via "presentism", so why shouldn't they?
3. Are kids faceless and nameless in classes of 40 and 50, as seems to be the norm these days? If students don't matter to overworked, underpaid and burned out teachers, there's no incentive to be in school
So before looking at mental health issues (teacher code for "these kids can't learn, or are bad") take a look at what the schools are able to offer with their very limited budgets.
There’s some important missing context on the “Covid is not nothing” bit. Two new studies with far more rigorous designs really undermine the conclusions of the VA database data trawls. Covid is not nothing, but it is now nothing out of the ordinary when studies are properly controlled:
https://open.substack.com/pub/vinayprasadmdmph/p/long-covid-in-children-and-young?r=7y9s4&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
https://vinayprasadmdmph.substack.com/p/long-covid-vs-long-uri
Aloha - commenting on the fact that many students of the Los Angeles school district have excessive absenteeism following COVID lockdowns. Several questions arise:
1. Is it safe to be in school? My brothers tell me that in High School they were repeatedly attacked, beat up, and verbally abused in what should have been a "safe" school as we lived in a middle class neighborhood. The reason? They got good grades. The violence occurred on the school campus, in the presence of the teachers and administrative staff. I've seen worse violence especially in the local middle schools.
2. Is the curriculum interesting and challenging? If it's same old, of course kids will cut if they can get away with it. Their parents are currently dropping out via "presentism", so why shouldn't they?
3. Are kids faceless and nameless in classes of 40 and 50, as seems to be the norm these days? If students don't matter to overworked, underpaid and burned out teachers, there's no incentive to be in school
So before looking at mental health issues (teacher code for "these kids can't learn, or are bad") take a look at what the schools are able to offer with their very limited budgets.
Peggy in Hawaii.
Say what? You mean that modern civilization reached its peak with disco?