Our new data shows that home is the new schoolhouse for over half of US children
95% of US schools will require children to wear masks while inside this fall
Over half (54%) of school children in the US will be swapping in-person lessons for virtual/remote teaching this fall, our new data shows.
Just over a quarter (28%) will be attending school in person, which puts many families in difficult situations managing childcare.
Some children will be tentatively stepping back into the school building part time, with 18% looking at a hybrid mix of in-person and virtual learning.
The in-person school experience will be unlike any we’ve seen before in our communities. Almost all (95%) schools that will have children attending in-person will require children to wear masks while inside. Many schools will not even take the risk outside, with 44% saying masks must be worn on the entire school premises, including fields and playgrounds.
Over four in ten (44%) parents have had to hire childcare to accommodate their child not being in school or at any after school clubs – and parents are at capacity balancing all their professional, household, and personal responsibilities.
Most schools have done their utmost to ensure that education isn’t hindered by the lack of in-person learning, and four out of five parents have had schools offer to provide the supplies needed for at-home learning which helps alleviate the financial pressure for parents.
Two out of three (67%) schools across the US have offered computers to aid home learning, a third (33%) have offered notebooks, pencils/pens (31%) and a quarter (26%) have offered to send out art supplies for home creative lessons.
The impact on children’s learning has been one of the major concerns of the COVID-19 crisis. As we see and talk to parents in our communities, we are seeing how many parents have risen to the challenge of remote learning in their homes on top of their already demanding jobs and responsibilities.
It remains to be seen if this is sustainable for a prolonged period – especially given the additional cost of childcare which is higher than usual and for some not even an option. That said, it’s encouraging to learn that schools have been doing everything they can to help cover the academic and financial needs of both children and their families. Hopefully, this will continue to ease the strain on parents until more children can get back to in-person schooling.