Here’s an apocryphal story that I’m sure you’ve heard many times. During a 4th of July parade a mother was terribly proud that her son, Jonny, was marching. As he came into view the mother started jumping up and down and waving. The people around her didn’t say anything, but they all saw that Jonny was completely out of step. She didn’t care. She kept waving and, pointed to the boy, loudly told everyone near her that “everyone’s out of step but my Jonny.” I have a feeling that that’s exactly when the US is currently doing. Despite the fact that most nations in Europe and Asia have new restrictions because of spikes from the virus, they have sent their children back to school. Of course they have made significant changes and upgrades to keep both the children and their teachers safe, but they are back in school.

I was curious to see if New York shut the schools in 1918. Nope. When the second wave started in September 1918, Dr. Royal S. Copeland, New York City’s Health Commissioner and Dr. Josephine Baker, the Director of the Department of Health’s Bureau of Child Hygiene decided that children would be better off in school. At that point there were 1 million children in the New York City schools, and 750,000 of them were living in tenements, or other areas of the City that were crowded, not properly ventilated, and not particularly safe. Copeland and Baker believed that it would be much better to have the children in school which was safer, cleaner, had proper ventilation, and in some cases feed them, and where the teachers could routinely make sure they were well. If not, the school nurses would take them home, or if need be, to the hospital.

Copeland’s rational was that the teachers could keep explaining to the children how to behave during the pandemic. (Same thing as today–wear a mask, watch your hands frequently and keep your distance) In addition, there was no such thing as day-care in those days, and in many families, both of the parents had to go out work, or there would be no food, and no rent. (Equally true today) Staying in school would keep the children safe, at least for much of the day. It was also another way to help with medical surveillance .

New York wan’t the only city which kept the schools open. Dr. John D. Robertson, Chicago’s Health Commissioner, also decided to keep the schools open during the Spanish Flu. 500,000 children attended Chicago’s schools, and like Copeland, Robertson was convinced that it was better to keep the kids in school rather than have them at home by themselves or out on the streets. As the weather got colder, the custodians would raise the heat, and keep the windows open. Some parents decided to keep their children home, so the teachers simply spread the children further apart. Robertson was convinced that the parents kept the children home because of “Fluphomia.”

New Haven, Connecticu’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Frank Wright, did much the same as New York City and Chicago. Here too, a number of parents decided that they would prefer to keep their children home, and again the teachers spread out the desks for the rest of the children. The City Fathers felt it was important to keep the schools open, even though some of the teachers were also absent, either because they caught the flu, or simply decided not to go in.

Fast forward 102 years. Apparently parents, administrators and politicians in the rest of the world agree with Copeland, Robertson and Wright, and are confident enough to send their children to school. Researchers have found significant evidence that young children are not “spreaders.” They have also found out how truly destructive it is for children to be out of school, not just for their education, but also for their emotional and societal well-being and growth. Ask our own CDC or the American Academy of Pediatrics. For the past seven months everyone from mayors to governors have been telling us to follow the science–why don’t they?! Don’t believe me? Take a look at comments from the head of the CDC, and the head of CDC’s Mental Health section. It’s time to move beyond political fighting between mayors and governors and unions. What’s more important to them than our children? In Italy all children from ages 3 to 11 go to school every day. And in the UK all children, including little Prince George and Princess Charlotte go to school. If it’s safe for the third in line to the British throne to go to school, why can’t our children? I guess everyone’s out of step but the US.😱