Nations around the world are closing down schools, despite the fact that of those who have been infected by the virus so far, about 10 percent are in their 20s, 1.2 percent are in their teens, and less than 1 percent are ages nine or less. Yet, as of last weekend, schools were shut around the world.
Despite the fact that the elderly are far more vulnerable to the coronavirus than young school children, as well as other evidence that closing schools is not an effective measure for dealing with viruses, the schools are emptied out.
Indeed, Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, has noted, “There is no clear evidence that such measures will slow this outbreak.”
Again, lacking quantifiable data for closing the schools, there is no consistency in how long they should stay closed.
Making Up The Numbers
Despite only 12 people testing positive for the virus in Maryland and three already fully recovered, last Thursday, Governor Larry Hogan shut down schools for two weeks and banned gatherings of over 250 people.
In the state of Washington, Governor Jay Inslee ordered schools closed until 24 April.
On Friday, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania announced all schools K-12 will be closed for ten business days beginning yesterday.
Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana announced the closing of schools until 13 April.
Governors of Florida, Virginia, and Illinois are closing schools in their states until 30 March.
Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia, while stating schools would close, refused to say for how long: “I’m closing the schools. That’s all there is to it.”
As for colleges, over the past week, some 300 U.S. universities closed their doors and issued plans to shift classes online. They intend to use a number of digital tools and platforms so students can access research materials and communicate online with professors.
TREND FORECAST: Online Education, or, as Gerald Celente wrote in his 1996 bestselling book, Trends 2000, “Interactive U has now officially become the learning system of the 21st century.”
In 2020, about one third of undergraduates are enrolled in online classes. Thirteen percent are learning exclusively online. Online course-taking has increased for 14 consecutive years.
