Reportedly, test scores in the United States have decreased significantly. This is the result of school closures and mask mandates that students had to deal with during the period of COVID-19 outbreak.
The pandemic caused disruption in people’s lives, all over the globe. Here in the United States, people suffered due to shutdowns and stay-at-home orders in various states. Students suffered tremendously as many schools closed the doors and promoted virtual learning methods. Even when classes resumed in person, many school districts implemented mask mandates.
I strongly opposed the shutting down of schools. Through my writing, I highlighted the adverse effects of stay-at-home orders and school closures on the mental health of people. In my home city of Madison, I wrote in favor of opening schools for in-person learning. I strongly opposed virtual lessons because I believe that students should be in classrooms and have a sound learning environment.
The report card, released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, shows depressing results – average scores declined in mathematics and reading. It is extremely worrisome to learn that student test scores, in the United States, have sharply fallen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Per the report, reading scores are at a 30-year low and math scores have gone through the largest decrease ever.
A viral outbreak, undoubtedly, would cause disruption in activities in general, including schooling and education. However, the severe effects of the pandemic on children’s education could have been avoided. Closing down schools and forcing students to wear masks when in-person classes resumed severely hurt the ability of children to receive proper education.
Children are the future of our country. Proper education would enable them to grow up and become good citizens. School closures and mask mandates adversely affected children’s ability to learn. The result is the dismal report, showing sharp decline in test scores, from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.