Student Open Letter About Life During Quarantine: Stress Caused Migraine, Vision Problems

Ninth grade student in 15 minutes sent a letter to the editorial board to draw the attention of the public, parents and teachers and to tell how adolescents felt during the pandemic.

She says that students face many psychological problems that only became apparent during distance learning.

Some, he said, have anxiety and panic attacks before class. Others are afraid or do not want to connect the camera because they are embarrassed.

“I would like the teachers to be concerned not only with assignments, grades, and assessments, but with our internal issues as well,” he says.

15 minutes when contacted by the gym, she said the learning load is too high and teachers often don’t understand.

“It just came to our attention then. However, for teachers it is difficult to understand because they have one thing. Let’s say that when we don’t do our homework it’s bad, but if the teachers don’t correct the control, their excuse is that we have other classes. Those double standards, he said. “We are not robots that can do everything smoothly, everything and on time.”

Lack of communication

According to the ninth, sometimes you have to sit in front of the computer from morning until 6 in the afternoon.

Then, looking at the screen and experiencing tension, she started having migraine, vision problems.

I would like the teachers to be concerned not only with assignments, grades, and assessments, but with our internal issues as well.

“When it was the first wave and it was necessary to have a medical check-up in the summer, it was – 2, now – 3.5. The migraine started because computers and telephones are always in my hands,” said the girl.

He stressed that during this period there is a great lack of communication, friends, time spent with them during breaks and after classes, fresh air.

“Quarantine really leads to big psychological problems. We are teenagers. This is the period when friends are most needed. It is not enough to call and talk. We need a live contact, a shoulder where we can cry when we are bad ”, described the girl from the gym.

Faces bullying

He added that bullying cannot be avoided by shutting down at home, it spreads online, sometimes by teachers.

“I have an English teacher who always compares us to another class. Called “dundukis”, “ignorant”, “backwards”. I don’t think anyone has such a teacher.

This is great bullying. I understand that bullying is also thrown into the teachers’ garden, but more and more often it turns towards us “, – the student shared her experience.

However, how to deal with these problems, according to the girl, no one teaches.

Why are algebra, Pythagorean formulas taught, but not taught how to maintain a good psychological state? Why are we learning about what happened in medieval America but not about housing, what to do after school? <...> Why don’t they teach us how to deal with bullying, slander, or various insults? ”He asked rhetorically.

Why don’t they teach us how to deal with bullying, slander, or various insults?

A third of the emotional state of the children worsened

The fact that students’ feeling of distance learning has deteriorated is also shown by a study carried out by a group of researchers from Vilnius University (VU). Distance education of children during the COVID-19 pandemic: threats and opportunities from an ecosystem perspective.

According to him, even a third of all students felt bad during the quarantine.

Research leader Dr. VU Institute of Psychology professor. R.Jusienė pointed out that children lack direct communication with their peers and teachers.

“When it comes to our human needs, a sense of community, our social needs are essential. We can learn to do without it for a while, but when it comes to children, their development, those needs are very important. ” 15 minutes said the specialist.

Although parents, siblings can partially compensate for the lack of social contact, according to the psychologist, in adolescence, contact with peers is even more important for the formation of personality.

Also, some children do not have the opportunity to interact closely with their parents at all.

Children’s health is worrying

R.Jusienė says that the biggest concern right now is the physical and psychological health of young people.

“In the short term, we have already seen a deterioration in our emotional state during the spring quarantine, with certain behavioral problems and other health problems. <...> But in late fall, we see some long-term consequences. They will only see them in time, whether they come out or take root, ”he described the current situation.

The study found that overweight children doubled during half a year of distance education.

There were various pains due to constantly sitting in front of the computer, staring at the screen, less physical activity, from headaches to backaches.

Decreased vision of students.

“Headaches are also related to the fact that they were more common in students, who feel more stressed, are more responsible in this sense, for whom learning outcomes are very important and are also concerned about the plans of future ”, explained the psychologist.

According to her, constant gaze at the screen and participation in online activities are also strongly related to the emotional state of young people.

“If they tend to get involved and no one helps them, then it is clear that their emotional health is seriously affected.

On the one hand, poor emotional well-being or stress promotes Internet involvement, on the other hand, Internet involvement only further unbalances the emotional state, ”said the specialist who works with children and adolescents.

In general, the anxiety of young people has increased considerably during this period, said R. Jusienė.

Already during the spring quarantine, we have seen a deterioration of the emotional state, with certain behavioral problems and other health problems.

“They are simply making plans for the future and this situation confuses them, they no longer know what they can do, what they dream of, what it will be like here and so on.

As psychotherapists, we see an increase in adolescents with anxiety in individual cases. Some express it in panic attacks, others in self-harm. And it often goes hand in hand with participation in screens and little physical activity, ”he emphasized.

Additionally, the study revealed that some parents and teachers experience tension and anxiety during this period.

“Unfortunately, often they are not only unable or unable to take proper care of themselves, but still pour their dissatisfaction onto the children …” said the professor who conducted the research.

The education of children as personalities stopped

According to R.Jusienė, although great efforts are made to ensure that students’ knowledge is not compromised, this is only one side of the coin.

Excessive concentration on distance learning undermines the focus on the development of the student’s personality.

A significant proportion of children received non-formal education in schools. For whatever reason, with the introduction of distance learning, non-formal education has completely disappeared.

Even according to the way the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports defines education in a general sense, it is not only the provision of knowledge, but also personal education, the education of social and emotional skills and values. You can’t say that nothing is wrong, but it hurts ”, explained the teacher.

According to her, a major loss is non-formal education.

“It actually disappeared if it weren’t for the commercial circles that try to support the kids and do the activities themselves remotely.

But let’s not forget that quite a few families don’t have the ability to pay for those circles. A significant proportion of children received non-formal education in schools. For whatever reason, after starting distance education, non-formal education completely disappeared, ”he said.

The study showed that children who had access to non-formal education and during their quarantine felt better, had more motivation to learn and showed better results.

For this reason, according to R.Jusienė, it is necessary “to necessarily return non-formal education and even strengthen it. Children need to be helped to feel capable of something, without focusing solely on learning. Educate in different ways “.

Student education

Although it is now increasingly said that equal education must be available to all without exception, the VU professor emphasizes that distance education has unfortunately only highlighted the existing problems of exclusion.

During the second quarantine, according to the specialist, the school psychologists and social workers were already working, but during the first quarantine they were simply “missing.”

“Children from families at social risk are one, but there are also those with emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Our study found that all children who had had one or another difficulty before suffered the most because they are the most vulnerable groups. Not only did the professionals and teachers not have to step back, but they also had to pay even more attention to these children and find ways to help them, ”he noted.

He also added that the digital divide contributed to all of this, when even after buying the tools, not all the children knew how to use them.

“In other words, distance education for students does not become a failure for them, both in terms of health and in terms of the future, their personal development and the same gaps,” concluded the psychologist.

Should schools be closed?

R.Jusienė expressed concern that schools in Lithuania were closed very early and have not opened until now.

He also gave the example of France, where, even during the curfew and other strict restrictions, schools remained open.

“This, like most other countries, nevertheless follows the strict recommendations of the World Health Organization that school closings should be the last resort to manage the epidemiological situation related to COVID-19.

And as the situation improves, we must return to regular education ”, emphasized the teacher.

Although students do not appear to make a direct gain, he noted, “mature countries know how to calculate in the long run what we will lose as a result of our children having less education and health problems,” he said.

In other words, distance education for students would not become their undoing.

It concluded that the impact of school closures on children’s physical and mental health, as well as education, and the economic impact on society as a whole, are likely to outweigh the benefits of such closures.

The first will return

Education, Science and Sports Minister Jurgita Šiugždinienė said at a press conference on Wednesday that students will gradually return to schools, the first – primary school children.

However, the exact date is unknown, as fewer than 200 coronavirus cases per 100,000 cases are a prerequisite for at least partially opening the school door. population.