As we memorialize our military and celebrate the unofficial start to summer this long weekend, many minds are also turning to how to occupy children in these uncertain times. New York state announced this week that summer school would be online only. Yet some summer sleep away camps in the Empire state are still going ahead. Like so much of the advice we have received on COVID-19 over the past few months the messaging is inconsistent, and heavily dependent on governance of the entity and hyper-localized conditions.
There are 166 countries that have instituted school closures, according to a recent United Nations report. 87% of the global student population is no longer in classrooms, totaling more than 1.5 billion children and youth. Schools in California are innovating to provide digital graduation ceremonies that are typically celebrated in person in May and to facilitate appropriate social distancing for final exams in June. Some schools are now closed for the summer without certainty as to when they will reopen for in-person classes.
Amidst these precarious conditions, we have been digging into what technology exists to keep kids safe — both during group activities throughout the summer, and when they return to school in the fall.
To answer that question, we can look abroad to countries that have already implemented solutions to get children back behind their school desks. In China, technology has been developed that can detect the temperature of students through thermal glasses worn by school administrators. Elevated temperatures can be an indication of fever – a common symptom of the coronavirus. In some schools, pupils are also asked to wear temperature sensing bracelets throughout the day that report a spike in temperature to school and public health officials.
Handwashing robots have also become common in China, ensuring that children spend an adequate amount of time washing their hands. The robots can talk, are mobile, and look friendly, resembling a penguin or another non-threatening animal. Less tech-savvy, though highly-effective protocols in schools, include mandatory disinfection of students’ shoes, clothing, and backpack upon arrival, wearing masks in classes and dividers to separate students from each other while they eat lunch.
Facial recognition is also used in schools in China. The purpose is said to be to monitor student attendance, observe behavior, and analyze facial expressions. It was announced in February that the major supplier of facial recognition systems in China is now able to identify people wearing masks making the technology adaptable in this pandemic.
Chinese start-up Walklake designs and manufactures ‘morning inspection robots’ for schools. The Walklake website notes its devices are in tens of thousands of kindergartens across 32 regions of China. Before entering the classroom each child interacts with the robot to have their temperature taken and their hands, mouth, and eyes inspected. The Walklake robot can find rashes, red eyes, herpes, inflamed throat, and even tooth decay. If a sign of illness is detected the child can be sent back home.
These measures may seem overly stringent in the USA, particularly as school video monitoring systems in China have come under criticism for inefficient security. Privacy concerns are paramount, especially when it comes to our kids. As we try to relax and unwind over Memorial Day weekend however, it is worth asking ourselves what measures we are prepared to accept and compromise on to ensure the continued health of our children.
Whether students will return to school in the fall as usual is yet to be determined. But what is for sure, is that COVID-19 will still be a reality in our communities, public spaces, and yes, very likely in our schools well into 2021. In the interim, it is best we are at least aware of the digital tools that exist and are being used in countries abroad, that can potentially keep our children here at home safe.