The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected many of us in different ways, but one thing I find particularly heartbreaking is the manner in which it’s affecting children and their education.
Hundreds of thousands of school children all over the U.S. have been forced to adapt to taking classes online in the midst of the pandemic. Some have been fortunate enough to see their schools reopening, but others are still learning virtually.
For one 9-year-old boy from Roswell, New Mexico, this means that he has to walk to his closed school every morning so he can tap into the school WiFi.
As per reports, Jonathan Endecott’s family have been unable to afford internet services since his mom, Angel, lost one of her jobs this year.
Since Jonathan has needed the internet to do his school home work, Angel was left with little choice but to instruct him to go to school and sit outside.
“He was like, ‘Yeah, I need to be back on the school property, and I could be like a normal kid again’,” Angel told CNN.
“Him just being outside of the building gives him that, ‘Hey, I’m at school’ feeling even though he’s not around other classmates or teachers.”
Jonathan’s determination
Low and behold, Jonathan liked going back to school so much that he’s now donning his school bag and doing it every morning, though he still can’t go inside the building.
Since the school is relatively close to the family home – located just across a field – Angel and her husband are happy to let him do it.
What’s more, some of the staff members are still at the school, with the principal, secretary and various teachers routinely coming outside to check on the young boy.
For Jonathan’s part, he says he’s happy to get a “little bit of a break” from his family each day. It might be a quirky learning environment, but it looks like it’s working for him!
Even so, one teacher working in the local school district admitted it was heartbreaking to see a student sitting outside of a closed building earlier this month.
With Angel’s permission, she shared a photo of Jonathan with a friend, who posted said image to social media. Before long, the picture of Jonathan at work had garnered plenty of attention, and one generous soul even offered to pay for his family’s internet for a year so that the boy could do his homework from the comfort of his home.
Not only that, but a GoFundMe account was also set up to help raise money for other children who have been struggling with internet access during this unprecedented time of uncertainty.
We can only hope the situation changes soon, though that won’t be possible unless everyone does their part and follows the rules and regulations in place to keep us all safe.
Though it’s sad to see the image of Jonathan sitting outside of his school, this little boy’s determination to get his homework done is truly inspiring!
Please, share this article on Facebook if you thought it was inspiring, and to remind others that brighter times lie ahead of us.
