A FEW weeks ago, local government units in Laguna started rolling out Covid-19 vaccines for minors aged 12 to 17.
For teenagers who have been cooped inside their homes for more than two years trying to navigate through the "blended mode of learning," this is welcome news.
And according to health officials OpinYon Laguna have talked to, the response among both parents and teenagers have been, so far, enthusiastic.
Which brings us to a question we're sure many parents and teachers are asking: when are we going back to the "old normal" of face-to-face classes?
Education officials in at least two cities in Laguna, a few months back, have assured that they have started renovating school facilities that have fallen into disrepair due to the pandemic.
The truth, however, is that reopening our schools – especially in urban areas of this province – will be far more complicated.
For one, is our transportation system – which have been heavily rationalized – prepared to cope with a deluge of students?
Next, are our children mentally prepared to return to face-to-face classes, considering that the threat of Covid-19 is still here?
Then there’s the issue of how to deal with a possible outbreak of Covid-19 in a particular school (despite the fact that most children – and all of the teachers – will be probably fully vaccinated by then).
If LGUs are keen on getting life back to normal for our students next year, now is the time to start planning for a possible return to face-to-face classes.
Not December or even January. But NOW.
This will prove to be one of the biggest challenges that we have to face in our efforts to get back our lives which the pandemic has taken away from us.