Students across the country planned walkouts on Friday, Jan. 14 to protest their lack of voices in the education system and lack of Covid protocols.

It’s not a secret that older and younger generations haven’t gotten along. Before Covid, it seemed to be at a standstill. The occasional comment would be thrown around, but that was it. Now throughout the pandemic, it’s turned into an all-out war. Teenagers and kids alike are fighting for their voices to be heard while parents and grandparents are fighting against them.

With Covid-19 case spikes, kids have been more at risk in schools than ever. Every argument over the issue of protocols and risks lacks one important thing: Kids. What do the kids want?

Many teens have been speaking up on this issue across the country. However, parents have been ignoring their children’s opinions for years, believing that adults are ‘always right,’ but that might not be the case, especially when it doesn’t affect them.

The walkouts on Jan. 14 were all caused by these growing issues. It was only time until the tension broke. Outraged students have been and are still battling their own parents and school districts about their lack of protocols and care for their health.

Masks and vaccines haven’t been enforced in many schools, much to many kids’ dismay. This leads to higher cases and a greater risk of lives during school time. Lack of Covid tests and restrictions have been an issue as well. Some districts allow students to attend school, even after being exposed to Covid by either family members or peers.

None of the students truly want online school again, but protocols need to be made if anything is going to stop this spread. The article This is America by Christine Fernando elaborates on the efforts of these protests. “The ongoing debate between in-person and remote learning is complex with many shades of gray. But regardless of where you stand on this issue, we need to allow students a voice, despite how hard it may be for adults to see younger people as equal partners in decision-making.”

How the schools are reacting to these demands is unknown at the moment. However, nothing can change in this pandemic if teens aren’t allowed to use their voices for their own problems.