The teens who clean homes during Zoom classes: juggling work and school in the pandemic
Teenagers from families who have been hit hardest by the recession entered the workforce to support their families. With schools reopening, teachers worry they won’t come back
This series was reported by The74Million.org, a nonprofit education news site, in partnership with the Guardian
Swin Cobón Sanchez, a high school senior, cleans houses during the day. At night, he mops, vacuums and empties trash at a downtown Seattle medical clinic. He hopes to graduate this year. Photograph: Courtesy Swin Cobón Sanchez
PLANS to demolish an “eye-sore” Austrian restaurant have been scrapped as developers backtracked on contributing to affordable housing. The plan for a three-storey block of 13 flats on the site of the Old Vienna restaurant, on Eastwood were initially approved on the condition developers paid £224,000 towards affordable housing. Now, the developer, SK Architects, has told the council it can “no longer afford” to hand over the cash, leaving the council no option but to refuse the plans. The Old Vienna closed its doors in 2016 following a poor hygiene inspection and has been left an “absolute eyesore” since. David Garston, Tory councillor for the ward, admitted something needs to be done to bring the site into use.
Parents are overjoyed that pupils will return to the classroom in just under two weeks after months of home learning. But union bosses have raised concerns that the government hasn’t adopted a phased approach of bringing children back to school. On March 8, all school children will ditch online learning and go back to face to face teaching. However, Jerry Glazier, secretary for the Essex branch of the National Education Union, has raised concerns there will still be bubbles of infections in schools. He said: “The union is committed to schools opening and children being back to face to face teaching but it’s got to be safe.