N.Y.C. Students Stage School Walkout Over COVID Concerns: 'We Don't Feel Safe'

Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/Shutterstock New York City students walk out of school in protest

A group of New York City high school students is demanding remote learning options while protesting what they call an irresponsible approach to COVID-19 prevention on campuses, according to multiple reports.

On Tuesday, hundreds of students took part in a walkout at various N.Y.C. schools, including Brooklyn Technical High School, where as many as 200 teenagers joined the efforts, WABC reported.

"I'm not motivated to learn when the environment in the school is what it is," Alexandra, a junior at Brooklyn Tech, told WNYC. "It feels like pseudo education."

According to the public radio station, students indicated that they don't feel safe at school and they "aren't learning very much" in classes that are often half-empty and led by substitutes. When a substitute isn't available, the students are taken to auditoriums, where mass study halls are held, WNYC reported.

The N.Y.C. Department of Education's website shares preliminary data showing that about 83 percent of Brooklyn Tech students and 86 percent of Stuyvesant High School students went to school on the day of the walkout, the Washington Post noted. Also on Tuesday, 8,670 COVID cases among N.Y.C. students were reported by the department. That came after a record-breaking Monday, when 11,000 new COVID cases were reported by the department, per the New York Post.

"We don't feel safe at school," an unidentified Brooklyn Tech junior told the newspaper on Tuesday. "It's pretty much that simple. There are so many cases going around and we think more should be done."

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In the midst of a spike brought on by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, protestors said they want the opportunity to temporarily return to remote learning or a hybrid-learning system, echoing the city's teachers union. If they are going to be in school, they want additional COVID testing and improved health screenings, the Washington Post reported.

"Having all these children stacked on top of each other, especially in schools as large as Brooklyn Tech, is not ideal," student Jaida told WABC. "And I think just having that hybrid option would just alleviate the stress and make everything a little bit safer for everyone."

Student Rommy is also worried about whether in-school instruction is the best call.

"I just genuinely do not feel safe in the school building anymore at this point and I think after winter break, we cross the line from in-person being better to remote and hybrid being better," Rommy told WABC.

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"I personally live with four high-risk individuals myself," Brooklyn Tech sophomore Joyce told AM New York Metro. "Every time I go to school I risk not only my life, but their lives as well."

The walkout — which was reportedly organized on social media — got the attention of New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks, who wrote on Twitter that he is "inviting student leaders to meet with me so we can work together for safe and open schools."

The city's Department of Education did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment, but in a statement published by media, spokesperson Sarah Casasnovas said they "understand the concerns of our school communities during this crisis and wholeheartedly support civic engagement among New York City students."

"Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our school communities, and we've doubled in-school testing and deployed 5 million rapid tests to quickly identify cases, stop transmission, and safely keep schools open," Casasnovas added. "Student voice is key, and we'll continue to listen to and work closely with those most impacted by our decisions — our students."

In-person instruction has been a priority for Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose "Keep School Open" plan entails increased testing.

Hochul finds optimism in the state's latest COVID numbers: "Cases are still high, but we're seeing the rate of new cases slowing down," the governor tweeted on Wednesday. "Although we are not at the end, this is still a glimmer of hope."

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Earlier this month, newly elected N.Y.C. Mayor Eric Adams addressed concerns at a press conference.

"We want to be extremely clear: the safest place for our children is in a school building," Adams said, per local news outlet The City. "And we are going to keep our schools open and ensure that our children are safe in a safe environment."

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