Sir, – The issue of reopening schools is now an urgent one. As your editorial of May 15th says: "The longer schools remain closed, the more harm it will do."
In my view, this harm will impact upon every area of a child’s life, including their intellectual, physical, psychological and spiritual development.
This fact, along with the finding in the recent Health Information and Quality Authority report that “it appears that children are not, to date, substantially contributing to the household transmission” of Covid-19 means that there is a pressing requirement for schools to reopen as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, there has been an alarmingly underwhelming amount of comment and discussion on this matter.
As adults, we have all, in the main, been given the opportunity to avail of the enormous benefits which education provides. It is no longer acceptable to dispense with these benefits for the children of today.
Unlike many other areas of life, childhood is not something that can be paused. Once it has passed, it is over.
The repercussions to not protecting our children adequately at this time, and this includes their education, will be immense.
It is time for children’s voices to be heard. – Yours, etc,
JULIE LISTON,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.