The First Of Many Chapters

The story of the coronavirus pandemic is becoming one of many chapters.

First we had the presentiment of danger with those of us in the UK watching developments in China and Europe with a sense of mounting inevitability, rather as sunbathers on a beach might stare in awe as a tidal wave approaches.

Next we had the height of the pandemic itself which was genuinely frightening for all of us, particularly those of us with families with elderly relatives. Reports from those who had the virus mixed with fears that the NHS would struggle to cope provided many a sleepless night for all of us.

We had the tedium of lockdown, with most of us confined to our homes for weeks on end. Despite that, there was a sense of camaraderie and creativity which made life bearable in unexpected ways, such as online discos or impromptu Zoom pubs (other video conferencing software is available…) Then we had the gradual relaxation of restrictions which initially gave hope that a return to normality may be possible soon; these were met with bacchanalian revelry that I fear will have proved ill-founded.

I feel now as I write, with schools having been back a week or two, that we are at the start of a new chapter having ended the previous one on a cliffhanger. On the one hand, schools are fully open with pupils back in class learning in the ways we all missed so much during last term. What has been particularly gratifying at my school is to see how pupils have coped admirably with the restrictions that are in force without compromising the daily joy they find in school life. Old friendships have been renewed, the saga of the exam results faded to a distant memory and the pleasant weather has allowed the resumption of the allowed outdoor pursuits. The sound of leather on willow on the schools cricket pitch is one that has been much missed over the summer.

However, there may yet be a twist in the tale. Infections are rising, with the famous R rate above one in many areas of the country; the restrictions, so recently relaxed, on meetings both social and business are tightening again. The start of any new term at a school is soon followed by the usual coughs and colds as the weather turns; any routine snuffles have an extra air of menace this year and parents and staff look anxiously on or book tests which are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.

It’s not surprising therefore that the is a degree of trepidation about what the darker winter will bring; all of us will be forced indoors for greater lengths of time making social distancing more difficult. It’s a worrying time, but what it brings home to us the importance of understanding the extent of our responsibilities towards each other, and I’m not just talking about schools now. Despite the specious human rights arguments and the paranoid Internet conspiracy theories, common sense mixed with informed evidence on things such as mask wearing will be crucial in getting us through the next few months as safely as we can. The MARK of a Durham School education is that we all display moral integrity, ambition, responsibility and kindness. It’s at times like this when those values are tested to the utmost and I’m delighted to see how the pupils and staff are responding to that challenge.