AS schools welcomed only Grade 12 learners back this week, the Paediatrician Management Group (PMG) and the South African Paediatric Association (SAPA) together urge government to open schools to all learners and not to allow fear or politics to harm the children of South Africa.
Speaking out against government’s decision to close public schools again, local paediatricians in a press statement said that the decision is not based on scientific evidence, and the benefits to children of attending school outweigh the risks to both children and the broader community.
With no clear evidence that closing schools significantly reduces community transmission or overall deaths, local paediatric doctors call for all grades to be allowed to return to school as soon as possible.
No reported large outbreaks in schools
Spokesperson Dr Fiona Kritzinger, a paediatric pulmonologist at the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town, said children aged 0-18 in South Africa account for only 5% of COVID-19 cases.
“Children and young people have a lower susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, with 56% lower odds of being an infected contact.”
South African data on COVID-19 case distribution by age shows that children aged 5 to 9 years old have an incidence of 15 cases per 100 000 population; 10- to 14-year-olds have an incidence of 22 per 100 000 population, and 38 per 100 000 in children 15 to 19 years old. .
Dr Kritzinger said evidence points towards very limited spread of COVID-19 between children.
“There are no reported large outbreaks in schools in any country. This supports the argument that asymptomatic children attending schools are unlikely to be significant spreaders of the disease.”
The major harms of school closure
The paediatricians argue that with basic education being a basic human right in the country’s constitution, the majority of learners would have missed half of the school year by the end of August, depriving them of this right.
“Only about 20% of school children have access to online schooling according to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and it is estimated that only 10% of households have internet access. This lack of access to education is disproportionally affecting vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
“The knowledge and skills gap between those with access and those without will only continue to increase and this loss of education will have long-term and far-reaching economic effects.
“The DBE has not implemented any meaningful strategies since March to mitigate any of these effects and a significant percentage of learners have not received any educational material since March 2020.”
Immense emotional and psychological effects
Dr Kritzinger said the emotional and psychological effects on children during and after lockdown is immense.
Recent international reviews show that lockdowns, school closures and natural disasters raise levels of substance abuse, depression, domestic violence and child abuse.
“In South Africa, many learners are already under immense emotional and psychological stress due to poverty, malnutrition, crowded living conditions, child abuse, gender-based violence and other violent crime.
“By reopening the economy while keeping schools closed, many parents/caregivers are forced to leave their children at home unattended.
“Less than one-third of children live in households where both parents are present, and almost 42% live in households where the mother is the only parent present (Statistics South Africa, 2019).
“It is estimated that more than 2 million children aged 0-15 years will be left at home unattended, increasing their risks for accidental injury, abuse, fear, anxiety and isolation.”
Dr Kritzinger said that as paediatricians, they view the benefits of attending school as outweighing the risks and that public schools should be allowed to reopen.
“It seems illogical to close all schools in all provinces and districts if community transmission rates vary so significantly.
“Allowing school communities to monitor and manage their risks based on local transmission would enable more schools to continue with their school activities and limit interruptions over the next 12 months.”
