Why Catholic school students outperformed government school students during lockdowns: a study
In this Wednesday, April 2, 2020, photo, a Catholic school student stands in front of his classroom as all other students in the building are in their classrooms because of the spread of COVID-19 in the US. The student with the book bag on the right shows his textbook to his teacher as all other students are seated in their assigned seats during lockdown. (Photo: Eric Risemberg/AP)
Students at Catholic schools are often seen in hallways reading textbooks, taking notes to return it to the school library and studying for class or homework. A few students might also take a walk around the school grounds during class time.
These students are outfitted with a school uniform that has been designed by Catholic schools to allow them to maintain a social distance amid coronavirus lockdowns.
However, the government is also trying to protect students in the public schools when the lockdown was implemented on March 20: “All students must wear a face covering or be in some type of respiratory protection device, such as a N95 mask or a cloth face shield,” the government’s website read.
When school districts ordered school closings, students at Catholic and independent schools had to remain in classrooms. This had been a standard practice in the US since the 1950s, but was called “independently uniform” when schools created their own uniforms for high school students.
But these lockdowns did not stop students at Catholic and independent schools to be outfitted.
And now that the government has changed the practice, some schools are not sure how their students will be treated.
This week, several students at Catholic high schools in the Minneapolis area were caught in the middle of a heated battle on social media about who should wear a face covering or face shield — in which some schools are being held to standards of government and others are being held to Catholic standards.
In an email statement to The Associated Press, a Catholic school spokesman in the Minneapolis area said student employees are supposed to wear a face covering, according to the Minnesota Catholic Conference. But he said
