Even though COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, many countries have loosened their rules and regulations. Some establishments have resumed business and schools have reopened. People now feel a little bit of freedom provided that everyone would follow proper safety measures. And social distancing is just one of them.

One of the groups that are greatly affected is preschool and elementary students. With many schools reopening, social distancing is strongly advised. After nearly two months of school closure, 1.5 million students are returning to school. Because of the virus, these kids are forced to adapt to the new social distancing protocols. And parents believe that this can have a traumatizing effect in the long run. And this is what’s happening to these students in France.

A photo of the preschoolers in France went viral. Their image depicted what social distancing the school will be like. In the photo, the kids were playing while keeping a distance from each other with their chalk-made squares.

Lionel Top, a local reporter from Tourcoing, France shared this photo on Twitter. To date, the photo now has over 15,000 retweets!

According to Top, the mood in the playground in the photo is “very strange, even disturbing.” But he also explained that the kids do not seem to care about their situation. He said, “They laughed and played together but from far away. The children play, dance, jump, laugh together…but from this square. From what we have seen, they do not view it as a punishment.”

Many people commented on the photo. And some of them are not happy about the state of things. One of them wrote, “I can’t get over this. This image is heartbreaking. We can’t call this ‘school’” Some have also called this process “dystopian” because of how the kids look like they are not having a positive outdoor experience with their peers. What the new normal day at school is not something that everyone has ever thought would happen.

Others also expressed their disapproval of the situation by saying, “…children will be more traumatized to resume in conditions in these conditions then to stay home.”

Other than social distancing, these young children are also asked to follow other safety precautions in order to help mitigate the spread of the virus. In fact, the Normandy town of Val-de-Reuil, they shared on Twitter that their students are required to wear protective gear like visors.

This is why instructors and professors have voiced out their worries about the students returning to school this soon. The adjustments might be too overwhelming for these students and can disturb their mental space. As we see more and more students taking extra precautions by sitting desks away from their seatmates. Teachers are also doing their part by wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

If in the past, children are encouraged to go out and mingle with other kids, it is going to change pretty soon. Socializing is very important in the developmental years of a child. As they age, socializing is one way to develop their emotional and social skills. Everyone knows that with what is happening right now, with the situation that we are in, the future will never be the same, especially for the younger generation.