Concerns about schools during the pandemic have changed dramatically since last summer, with most people surveyed in the United States now saying they are more concerned with the academic, emotional and economic damage of keeping classrooms closed than with the risk to spread the potentially deadly coronavirus.
The percentage of Americans who say that the biggest consideration in reopening schools should be the possibility that students are left behind academically without face-to-face instruction jumped from 48% last July to 61% this month, according to a new Pew survey. Research Center published on Wednesday. .
“Americans are increasingly concerned about the effect of virtual learning on academic progress,” said Juliana Horowitz, author of the center’s report on online research with 10,121 American adults conducted February 16-21.
The survey found that the percentage that says the primary consideration should be the risk of teachers catching or spreading the virus dropped from 60% last July to 48% this month, and those who cited the risk of students catching or transmitting it dropped from 61 % to 45%.
However, the majority of American adults – 59% – say that K-12 schools that are not open for face-to-face teaching should not reopen until all teachers who want the coronavirus vaccine have received it, while 40% they say they should reopen as soon as possible, even though many teachers who want the vaccine have not received the vaccines.
The research comes as the battle for the reopening of public schools intensifies, especially in California, which has been one of the slowest states to return children to classrooms. Since the start of the current school year last fall, growing evidence has shown that schools can safely open with basic measures, such as face masks and physical distance, without significantly spreading viral infections.
It was also clear that many children are lagging behind academically and suffering emotionally – especially the poorest and most vulnerable – with remote online “distance learning” that has replaced classroom teaching across the country since the pandemic caused the closure of schools last spring.
The survey was conducted shortly after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidelines for reopening schools, indicating that they can reopen safely, even in communities with widespread infections and without teachers being vaccinated.
Although the main concern is the loss of learning from distance learning, 54% also cited students ’emotional well-being and parents’ ability to work outside the home.
The survey also found that, as was the case last summer, black, Hispanic and Asian adults are more likely than white adults to say that the risks for teachers and students of contracting or spreading the coronavirus should be taken into account when decide whether to reopen schools.
Low-income adults are more likely than middle- or high-income adults to say the same, as do Democrats compared to Republicans.
While the majority of white adults (65%) and Hispanics (60%) say that learning loss is a major concern, 49% of black adults say the same. The majority of whites (58%) and Hispanics (53%) also cite the damage of school closings to students’ emotional well-being, compared to 44% of blacks.
Most Republican and Republican-biased voters and Democrats and Democrats-biased voters say academic damage from distance learning is a major concern. But that feeling is much stronger among Republicans and Republicans (76%) than between Democrats and Democrats (51%).
But while the majority of Republicans and Republican supporters (65%) also cite concerns about students’ emotional well-being, a minority of Democrats and Democratic supporters (46%) share this view.
Nearly eight out of 10 Democrats (79%) say schools should wait to reopen until all teachers who want the coronavirus vaccine receive it, while nearly two-thirds of Republicans (65%) say schools should reopen the as soon as possible, even though many teachers did not receive it.
The research involved parents and people without children. But Horowitz found that opinions about the reopening of schools do not vary significantly between those who have children enrolled in primary, secondary or high school and those who do not.
Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow Democrats in the legislature are talking about competing plans to open more California public schools as a deadly wave of winter infections subsides and vaccines become more available.
Teachers’ unions and school administrators consider Newsom’s plan inadequate to ensure safety and say schools should wait until infection rates drop further or teachers are vaccinated. Newsom prioritized teachers for vaccines and said 10% will be reserved for them starting next week, but both he and lawmakers echoed the CDC in saying that schools can open before all teachers are vaccinated.
In addition to vaccines, Newsom’s reopening plan depends on counties reaching certain infection rates before they can reopen.
“We are a little more restrictive – recognizing this – than the CDC guidelines,” said Newsom on Tuesday.