Donald Trump said he would pressure state governors to open schools in the fall (File)
Washington:
President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to cut funding for schools that would not open in the fall and criticized the federal health agency’s guidelines for reopening schools as “very difficult and expensive”.
The Republican president, who is seeking re-election in November, has accused Democrats of wanting to keep schools closed for political reasons, despite an increase in coronavirus cases across the country.
“The Dems think it would be politically bad for them if American schools open before the November elections, but it is important for children and families. May cut funding if not open!” Trump said on Twitter, stressing the reopening of schools in some European countries without problems.
It was not clear what specific federal aid the Republican President had in mind. The states are responsible for primary and secondary education under the US Constitution, but the federal government provides additional funding.
Trump also targeted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national health protection agency whose director sits on the White House Coronavirus task force.
“I don’t agree with @CDCgov about their very strict and costly guidelines for opening schools. When they want to open them, they ask the schools to do very impractical things. I will meet them! !! ” Trump said in a separate Twitter post.
The White House has not clarified which guidelines the CDC Trump opposes.
The CDC recommended a number of considerations for schools, including testing, dividing students into small groups, serving packed lunches in classrooms instead of cafeterias, and minimizing the sharing of school supplies. He recommended that sneeze guards and bulkheads be put in place when social distancing is not possible, and that seats be spaced at least six feet apart.
“It is time for us to bring our children back to school,” said Vice President Mike Pence after a meeting of the White House coronavirus task force at the Department of Education on Wednesday.
Pence said the CDC plans to issue new guidelines for schools and stressed that the agency’s guidelines are not meant to replace local school considerations and decision-making.
Trump held meetings on the reopening of schools in the White House on Tuesday and said he would pressure state governors to open schools in the fall.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo replied on Wednesday that the federal government has no authority over schools and that his state will announce plans to reopen in the first week of August.
Businesses and conservative groups have urged the safe reopening of schools, which is important to get parents back to work and boost the US economy.
Educators say socialization and other benefits such as school feeding programs are of crucial importance. Experts have also shown that online learning is exacerbating the gap between the poorest and the wealthiest Americans, who have better access to technology.
The alarming outbreak of cases in the United States, however, has raised concerns about the increased risk of the virus spreading by children to vulnerable adults at home as well as to older teachers and school staff.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said on Wednesday that he plans to reopen public schools in the fall, but has reserved the right to “change this if it means saving lives”.
In Los Angeles, the top public health official said the planned reopening of elementary and high schools in the fall was in danger. “Every school district at this point must have plans in place to continue distance education for 100% of the time,” director of public health Barbara Ferrer told officials in a reported private conference call by the Los Angeles Times.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
