Future of education: Students share thoughts on Biden’s new plan to reopen schools

BY ALYSSA KHAN

With a new presidency comes plenty of changes, both politically and emotionally. Throughout the transition from former President Donald Trump to current President Joseph R. Biden, Biden has made his plans for education known. In general, he intends on getting educators the pay and support they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. One of his main goals is to ensure that children are able to succeed in society, regardless of their age, race, religion, income and other factors.

Senior Kaylynn Nguyen, who has been following Biden’s presidency closely, had a lot to say about these plans.

“I believe that Biden’s education plan will enact positive change in our education system. His proposed policies of eliminating the funding gap between marginalized and privileged communities and increasing teachers’ salaries all point to a more diversified and productive quality of education for U.S. students,” Nguyen said. “His other policies regarding school safety, including gun control and increased counseling, will definitely give me and many other students peace of mind while attending school.”

In regards to education and the coronavirus, Biden plans on getting students back to school safely. Trump had previous intentions of forcefully reopening schools, without any emergency funding. On the other hand, Biden has made it a priority to counter this idea, and secure emergency funding to make schools safer.

“We should make school classrooms safe and secure.”

U.S. President Joseph R. Biden

“We should make school classrooms safe and secure,” Biden said. “We need the capacity, the capacity to know that, in fact, the circumstance in the school is safe and secure for everyone.”

In short, Biden plans to fight for equality for all students and teachers in the education system, and bring everyone back to schools safely, but what does this mean for the future of education? Will it actually help improve the well-being of students?

Biden seems to focus on improving not only the academic but also mental situations for students. One in five children in the U.S. experience mental health problems. He hopes to increase the number of psychologists, counselors, nurses, social workers and others in our schools to lower this statistic. This will guarantee good mental health for all students or, at the very least, provide them a place to go when in need. In the future, the hope is to prevent what students experience now: feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork with no time to focus on themselves. 

Senior Christopher Berry keeps up with politics and has heard about Biden’s education plans. He feels that the way Biden is approaching it can be a good or bad thing. 

“I feel the increase in mental health professionals can greatly contribute to bettering the mental health of students.”

Senior Christopher Berry

“I feel the increase in mental health professionals can greatly contribute to bettering the mental health of students. However, many students that are shy and anxious may choose to avoid them,” Berry said. “The lack of free time within our lives contributes to the mental health struggles we have, due to the pressure to succeed and stress of the expectations. Having professionals readily available to discuss mental health rather than counselors will give students more confidence in speaking with them, though.”

Overall, Biden’s plans appear promising. Teachers will finally receive the support they need and deserve for the work they do. Students will have better experiences at school, whether that’s during the virus or after. Biden has planned a better school life for all. 

Photo courtesy of Joe Biden for President