Restrictions were often much harsher here than in America, particularly in early 2021, when the United Kingdom implemented one of the longest and most stringent lockdowns in the world. Yet as stifling as the rules Britain placed on adults were, the country seemed determined, in stark contrast to America, to ask as little as possible of children.

School closures offer one of the clearest illustrations of this split. European countries generally regarded school closures as a measure of last resort, which is why schools here were closed for much shorter spells than in America. Many of my American family members and friends are surprised to learn that schools in the U.K. have never entirely shut down. Even during the strictest portion of last year’s lockdown, when all pubs and restaurants were closed and sitting on a bench with someone you ran into at the park was illegal, in-person schooling remained available for vulnerable kids and children of essential workers.

Back in March 2020, when many people thought schools would be closed for a matter of weeks, such a provision may have seemed insignificant. But the pandemic is entering its third year, and school districts across the U.S. are once again closing their doors. In Chicago, where a huge percentage of public-school students are poor or otherwise vulnerable, instruction has shut down altogether this week (though some schools have remained open for emergency child care), following a tussle over whether to switch to remote learning. As children and essential workers strain under the cumulative pressure, Americans should keep schools open for those who need them most.