The Power of Mask Mandates in Schools — A Student’s Perspective

Are masks necessary in schools?

Do masks cause developmental problems in children?

How can children socialize while wearing masks?

Are masks really necessary since children are less susceptible to the virus?

As a senior in high school, I’ve seen all sides of the mask mandate debate. In 2020 I stayed home all year and participated in distance learning, even attending the Governor’s School for International Studies in Memphis online. Doing all of that virtually was hard. On top of all of my other normal student responsibilities, I was still expected to complete 25 hours of community service and take active leadership opportunities. There were many times throughout the year when my grades dropped and other times when I thought that none of it was worth it.

Students last year who remained in school in person were required to wear masks at all times. This year, all students had to attend in person, but the district decided to end the mask mandate. It was fine at first. Then cases started rising again, and teachers, parents, and students demanded a change. See the article above where a teenager was mocked for favoring a mask mandate. Through all of that, the other side of the argument still wants the right to refuse a mask. Who is right?

Here are some reasons why I believe mask mandates in schools are necessary:

1. The Possibility for Students, Parents, and Staff to Contract Covid-19

I hope that we all can agree that if we can prevent even one child from dying, a mandate will have been worth it. Sure, children are less susceptible to sickness from the coronavirus, but they can still pass it on to parents, teachers, other staff members, and even people they pass on the street. We’ve become so desensitized to death that we can open up the news and see the daily hospitalization count, or that there has been yet another deadly shooting and not even bat an eye. This should not be normal. We should care about other human beings.

As John Donne says in his poem “For Whom the Bell Tolls,”

Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.

2. Falling Behind due to Contact Tracing

I’m a senior. I have a lot of things to do: schoolwork, college and scholarship applications, clubs, etc. I don’t have time to be absent from school for a week because the kid next to me didn’t want to wear a mask and tested positive. Board members and legislators don’t understand the impact that missing school has on our education. They claim that having to wear a mask will cause them to miss out on social opportunities or not be able to make friends, but for the vast majority of students, that is not the case. There will always be exceptions, and for those students exceptions can be made, but most students are perfectly capable of socializing en portant a mask. What we aren’t perfectly capable of doing, however, is gaining quality instruction while at home. Teachers now hand out papers in person, forgetting about the students who aren’t able to get them. They don’t worry about recording lessons or putting notes online. So yes, we can absolutely fall behind from not wearing masks.

And also, what about the students who don’t have a reliable device or access to the internet at home? They’re required to go home, but they’re not able to access the resources that teachers actually remember to upload. My school lets students borrow laptops to take home, but that still doesn’t cover internet access. Until right about when the pandemic began, I didn’t have WiFi at home. Imagine where I’d be right now if we hadn’t gotten it when we did.

3. Masks Will Help us Return to a Normal Life

There’s no doubt that the past few years have been nothing but a period of adaptability for parents, students, and educators. With rules and regulations constantly changing, hardly anyone ever knows what’s going on anymore. Wearing masks is the simplest way to cut down on the spread of Covid. That is why I believe that everyone who is eligible, should become vaccinated, and everyone who isn’t vaccinated should be required to wear a mask. Masks work. And they will slow down positivity rates that remove students and teachers from the classrooms. If we want any chance at stability in our lives, masking up and getting vaccinated is the easiest solution.

4. There are few Downsides for Children to Wear Masks

Parents and guardians share concerns about socializing with masks on. Let me tell you: kids will keep talking masks or no masks. There is the possibility for bullying as a result of wearing a mask, but with a mandate, that possibility is gone. If every child wears a mask, bullies are going to find some other target. There will always be exceptions, and for those students, exceptions can be made: if a student isn’t able to wear a mask for whatever reason, their situation should be considered between guardians and administration.

Masks don’t harm students’ mental health. What harms students’ mental health is living with the knowledge that they brought a deadly virus home to their parents. Or that their teacher had to be put on a ventilator. Or that they even got sick themselves.

Any student who is eligible to get vaccinated, should get vaccinated. They’re safe, they work, they prevent sickness from Covid-19. Any student who either cannot or decides not to get the vaccine should be required to wear a mask. It is the best way to keep parents, staff members, and even themselves safe from the coronavirus. It really is as simple as that.

Keeping children safe should not be a political issue.