Safety in schools during COVID-19, and its implications for democratic education

ABSTRACT

During the COVID-19 pandemic, calls to protect children and young people have proliferated in educational contexts, consolidating safety as a core principle guiding an increasing number of decisions at schools. Recently, however, more and more scholars have begun to question the ambiguous nature of "safety", analysing the tensions between this concept, education, and children's citizenship. The purpose of this article is to problematise the political and educational implications created by concerns about safety in the unprecedented times of COVID-19. Using Apple and Beane's (2007) classic work on democratic education, our study delves into the educational experiences of nine educators and eight students in Aotearoa New Zealand during COVID-19 to explore their uses of safety. Our findings highlight the nuanced ways in which the discourses of safety can lead to curricular and pedagogical practices of comfort, isolation, and control.