Virtual Schooling: The Way to Go Amidst a Pandemic

By Leah Maitland

As Covid-19 cases rise and fall amidst the holiday season and the promise of a vaccine looms over the heads of the American people, many citizens believe students should be moving towards in person learning. A large number of concerned parents and students have been advocating for in-person schooling since the 2020-2021 school year began, for a number of reasons. Overall though, virtual schooling may still be the safest way to combat Covid-19, and though it isn’t perfect, schools are still trying to work with their students the best they can. 

From an American perspective, the pandemic is a cause for great controversy. Even with national mask mandates, many people are still going out without wearing any. Despite calls for social distancing, many continue to party and hang out with large groups of friends. Overall, there is still little to no way to be able to trust one another not to have come in contact with someone positive with Covid. Should students be allowed back in schools, the questionable honor system of “are you social distancing” would not be adequate in keeping students and staff safe. This would jeopardize both the students attending classes and the faculty in charge of teaching and caring for the student population.

Bringing students back to schools would also give cause for concern for many families. Many families have grandparents or other older relatives living at home with them. With the added exposure of students to other kids in the district, the higher the chances that they may bring the virus home to their elderly family members. Covid is known for being highly harmful to those who are elderly, which would make it dangerous for them to get the virus. 

Other families may have a member with an autoimmune disorder, or a newborn, or a member with a respiratory disorder—all of whom could be seriously harmed by the virus. Keeping students away from in-person classrooms may save them from ever coming into contact with the virus. 

In addition to safety precautions, schools are trying to help students as they navigate virtual schooling as best as they can. In the Green Bay District, schools have turned Wednesdays into both teacher planning days and days when students are able to catch up on their work and ask for help from their teachers. Home Base periods have been added to high schools to check in with students throughout the week. Many schools offer counseling and other mental health resources during these trying times, as well as the scheduled time on Wednesday that provide opportunities to speak to someone. 

Schools are also doing their best to keep extracurriculars and other activities running. Many schools have done virtual musicals or virual concerts. Other clubs, such as Academic Decathlon and other academic teams, have moved to a fully-virtual format, allowing students to participate in activities without worry for their safety. On top of this, schools have held a number of other activities to help keep spirits high, such as, at East, the spirit weeks, trivia nights, and various clubs that still meet (such as Book Club, Diversity Club, and GSA).

Yes, nobody wants to be in this pandemic, dealing with the stresses of the virus, school, or work, but the education system is learning to adapt. Virtual schooling is the best option for keeping students and their families safe, and schools are doing the best they can to accommodate. Maybe once a vaccine is introduced, or the number of cases is manageable, students will be better off going into an in-person setting. Until then, virtual schooling is surely the way to go amidst the pandemic.