DC Students Demand Safer Conditions For Learning During COVID-19

WASHINGTON, DC — D.C. public school students walked out of schools Tuesday afternoon as part of a campaign to get the city’s school system to create safer learning conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organized by the group Students 4 Safe Learning, the walkout aimed to show how “students are learning in unsafe conditions” and that “students feel unsafe.”

“There’s so much stress that comes with not knowing if you’re bringing something home to your family and friends. It all takes a toll on our mental health. Help us!” the group said in a tweet.

The walkout occurred at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Students participating in the walkout were encouraged to wear red. The group also asked students to stay three feet apart while outside.

Among the students’ demands are a virtual learning option for all students, safer meal times, deep cleanings of schools, and better COVID-19 data reporting. DC Public Schools currently allow virtual learning only to students who meet certain medical requirements.

A teacher at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School applauded the students who participated in the walkout. "Proud of our activists @stu4safelearn who participated in today's walkout," the teacher wrote in a tweet.

About two dozen students at Banneker High School participated in the walkout, demanding safer conditions in schools and a temporary return to virtual learning, WUSA reporter Delia Gonçalves tweeted Tuesday

The group is also holding a virtual rally at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to share their demands.

Montgomery County Public Schools students held a walkout last Friday in protest of in-person learning as the omicron variant continues to drive up COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Students across 18 Montgomery County schools protested conditions, with many saying they did not feel safe with the current school protocols, WUSA reported.