美国国家公共电台 NPR--The new book 'The Stolen Year' details how the pandemic disrupted children's lives

The new book 'The Stolen Year' details how the pandemic disrupted children's lives

Transcript¹

Extended school closings during the pandemic were a calamity² for education. NPR's Anya Kamenetz writes about how COVID changed children's lives in her new book: The Stolen Year.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

In 2020, when the pandemic spread, Anya Kamenetz was covering education for NPR News. Schools closed. Many shifted to remote learning for up to a year. Anya covered it all and now sums up what her reporting also showed in real time. Extended closings were a calamity for education. And she says they may not even have saved many lives.

ANYA KAMENETZ, BYLINE³: The United States kept more of its schools and more of its students home longer than any other wealthy country and at the same time is currently boasting the highest per capita death rate from COVID of any wealthy country.

INSKEEP: The U.S. could have opened schools while keeping restaurants closed. Instead, many places kept schools closed while reopening restaurants. All along, Kamenetz was interviewing affected⁴ students.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT #1: I could not stand being home doing work because, like, we have, like, 14 people in one house. And, like, half of those people are kids. I just couldn't focus.

INSKEEP: That 16-year-old tried to study at home while also supervising younger kids. This 16-year-old said she couldn't sleep for days.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT #2: Everything is hard because there's no end to it. It just - it's really sad to, like, see what was supposed to be, like, the best years of your life, like, go down the tubes.

INSKEEP: More than a year later, standardized⁵ tests show that many kids have not recovered. Anya Kamenetz has now collected the stories of parents and kids in a book called "The Stolen Year." And when we talked, she said her sources described this disaster before it happened.

KAMENETZ: I would love to take you back, Steve, to a conversation that you and I had in April, 2020.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

INSKEEP: Anya Kamenetz of NPR's education team has been asking what past events are relevant.

KAMENETZ: I talked to people I knew who had studied school closures and their impacts.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

KAMENETZ: At a time. You're looking at the Rwandan genocide. You're looking at Syrian refugees, Rohingya refugees.

And the evidence was all there. We talked about how kids were at risk for toxic⁶ stress, missing - learning that any kind of continuity effort, any kind of remote learning was actually going to magnify inequality because some kids would have a better ability to take advantage of remote learning than others and that kids would drift out of school and into paid work if they were teenagers.

INSKEEP: So authorities knew the problem and had to judge which was worse, the risk of COVID or the risk of educational calamity? European nations began reopening by the late spring of 2020, saying they put kids first. In the United States, political division and distrust prevented that.

KAMENETZ: Because I think we heard a lot from President Trump⁷ about how important it was to open schools. But we didn't see responses, particularly from people who were on the other side politically. In fact, it was shown that the more likely a county or district was to go for Biden in the 2020 election, the more likely that county was to stay closed for longer and to keep up restrictions⁸ like masking. So you know, something's wrong when political affiliation⁹, not case rates, not demographics, is the leading indicator¹⁰ of whether a district is opening or not.

INSKEEP: People did not trust the people who were telling them it was OK to reopen the schools?

KAMENETZ: That is exactly right. And the lack of trust was on so many levels, Steve. I mean, you think about kind of the legacy¹¹ that we have of, how do communities of color, for instance, in large cities relate to their public schools, you know? Patricia Stamper, who's a teacher and a mother in Washington, D.C., talked to me about being a teacher in a pre-K classroom in D.C. public schools before the pandemic watching rats run over the children as they napped. And so are you going to trust that district to run these incredibly complicated health protocols¹²? Are you going to trust them with your life? That's what it came down to for a lot of people.

INSKEEP: Was there also a failure of public health experts here to speak frankly¹³?

KAMENETZ: I think we have to look at public health experts, and not to diminish the difficulty of the job that they were trying to do in this incredibly fast-moving situation. But the World Health Organization and the European equivalent of the CDC spoke¹⁴ very strongly and clearly in favor of opening schools. And our CDC did not speak in the same full-throated way about balancing the needs of children with the need to control the pandemic.

INSKEEP: You just said an important thing when you talked about balancing the needs of children with the need to control the pandemic. This is a complicated decision. You're taking a risk one way or another. And if you're a public health official, you may decide that the risk of educational loss is greater than the risk of COVID for kids, even if some kids may well get sick. In other contexts, public health experts were willing to make that judgment¹⁵. They very famously in 2020 said it was OK to protest racial injustice¹⁶ because the cause was more important than the risk of COVID. Why was it so hard for them to focus on schools the same way?

KAMENETZ: I think it has a little bit to do with sort of the moral place of children in our society. There is such an instinct to protect children. And that's very good, right? We don't want to think about any harm coming to children. And dealing¹⁷ with an unknown risk really pushed us toward the precautionary principle. But where I think that went too far was in our lack of awareness¹⁸ of just how many functions schools were providing for the outrageously¹⁹ high number of children in this country who don't get their basic needs met at home.

INSKEEP: Was it easier to keep a lot of schools closed longer because the most elite²⁰ people, the ones who have the most power in society, had kids that were doing fine because they had other resources?

KAMENETZ: You know, that's a super complicated question because as it turned out, the parents who were most vocal²¹ about reopening schools were characterized by oftentimes being whites and more affluent²². And communities of color and lower income communities were not as vocal about the need to reopen schools. So the political dimensions of this did not break down the way you might expect it. The Open Schools movement, as it's called, consisted of parents oftentimes who were angry that schools were not available. And they had very serious concerns about their kids. And I think that a lot of the parents in that community feel that their needs were really dismissed and that they were told that they were, you know, just wanting to go to yoga or that they were being racist²³ when they asked for schools to reopen. So it was a very, very divided political landscape. And, frankly, it still is. I mean, we still have a lot of parents out there who are angry about things like mask mandates²⁴ for preschool. Many of them are self-styled progressives, democratic voters, believe in science, have their children vaccinated²⁵, but feel that it's unfair that these restrictions were placed on children when literally²⁶ nobody else had to do them.

INSKEEP: Even if it was a mistake to keep the schools closed so long, do you think that most kids will overcome that?

KAMENETZ: I think it's time for adults to take a good, hard look at what we did and exactly what kids need to come back. But it is not automatic. And it is going to take a concerted effort on the part of schools, communities, mental health professionals to get kids back on track.

INSKEEP: Anya Kamenetz is a former NPR education correspondent and author of the new book "The Stolen Year." Thanks so much.

KAMENETZ: Thank you, Steve.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHILLY GONZALES' "KENASTON")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

6 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

10 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

11 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

12 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

13 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

16 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

17 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

19 outrageously   

凶残地； 肆无忌惮地； 令人不能容忍地； 不寻常地

参考例句：

• Leila kept smiling her outrageously cute smile. 莱拉脸上始终挂着非常可爱的笑容。
• He flirts outrageously. 他肆无忌惮地调情。

20 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

21 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

22 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

23 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

24 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

25 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

26 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。