To ensure the country's future, Laos must reopen schools.

[ASEAN NOW]

 

Is it time for Laos' schools to reopen? What kind of future awaits us if schools remain closed?

 

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on our lives. Many people have struggled with their mental health during this time. At every level, the financial situation has been difficult. Everyone has been affected by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and restrictions, which are approaching their 200th day.

 

Our children, however, who are the most vulnerable members of society, are frequently the ones who suffer the most.

 

Schools give a wealth of opportunities for pupils. Schools provide even more than the essential education and a safe environment. They care for and safeguard our children. They give developmental milestones that occur spontaneously and in the presence of peers, which can be missed when children stay at home. A school may also be a safe haven during stressful times, when emotions are running high, and it can be the first step toward getting kids the care and support they require when life at home is difficult.

 

The problems are even more serious in emerging countries like Laos. While many children throughout the world have access to online schooling, this has posed a significant difficulty in Laos, where many people lack access to the technology needed for remote study. Some have, but for the most, education ends when schools close.

 

Children who are not enrolled in school must be looked for. As a result, people who stay at home to care for their children are unable to work. In certain cases, this implies that the children are forced to work alongside their parents. When this occurs, there is concern that the longer it goes on, the less likely kids will return to school when it reopens. And a generation of children is missing out on a critical component of their education, both now and in the future.

 

That isn't all, though. Children in the poor world who are denied the opportunity to attend school are at a higher risk of child marriage, sexual abuse, and pregnancy, according to studies.

 

Our children are still at risk after schools were closed for a substantial portion of this year, as well as for several weeks during the onset of the pandemic last year. It's tough to strike a balance between virus prevention and the challenges that keeping them out of classrooms causes. While everyone wants to keep our kids safe – especially because they are largely unvaccinated – the government must make a judgment.

 

Last year, we witnessed how well schools kept our children safe. Safe on school grounds, safe by encouraging handwashing, safe by wearing masks, and safe by using social distancing techniques.

 

In comparison, Laos has fared well in the face of the epidemic. We have been spared, despite the fact that several countries have endured hundreds of thousands of deaths. 190 of the 223 countries across the world have experienced more deaths as a percentage of their population than we have, thanks to some outstanding decision making, a young population, plenty of space, and the major wave only striking after the immunization campaign was already well established.

 

Any country must strike a difficult balance. Different countries around the world have attempted to strike a balance between the economy, personal freedom, mental health, and education while avoiding the dangers of Covid-19. And Laos had to think about things that other countries didn't have to think about. It is a landlocked country with a poor infrastructure that makes getting around difficult, especially during the rainy season. The healthcare system lacks most of the technology and facilities found in affluent countries, and the economic crisis brought on by the significant decline in GDP has made matters much more difficult.

 

People are justifiably fearful of this virus, which has wreaked havoc in recent months, but as more of us are vaccinated and knowledge of the virus and how to treat people infected with it grows, the risks diminish. We're observing that deaths among folks who don't have any underlying diseases are uncommon. Even fewer people who have been fully immunized are affected. And it is because of this awareness that countries all over the world are re-prioritizing education.

 

As more schools open around the world, children will be able to meet their friends, learn their lessons, and be watched over and protected by their teachers and school, allowing them to recover from this traumatic period and resume their developmental goals, while their families will be able to rest assured that their children are safe and happy.

 

For the sake of our children, I hope that they will be allowed to return to school soon in Laos.

 

Credit Source: The Laotian Times