Perspectives: Remote Learning vs. In-Person Classrooms

As summer heats up, so does the debate surrounding remote learning and in-person classrooms. Johns Hopkins University estimates that 45.7% of Americans are fully vaccinated, while many states have dropped mask mandates and safety restrictions for the vaccinated or dropped mask mandates altogether. Several school districts in Texas, Florida and New York have decided to end remote learning altogether; elsewhere, schools will keep online learning programs as options for families who want to continue remote education. 

Some in favor of keeping a remote learning option claim online school leads to students experiencing less racism. Others say that remote learning keeps students from black and brown communities safer from the virus, since they argue these students may have less access to the vaccines. Those in favor of in-person schooling point to data showing that many students fell behind in the year of remote learning; others point out that students in more remote or underserved areas lacked access to the internet and technology needed for remote schooling. Some in the middle argue that the debate has become politically charged; they point out that different students have different learning behaviors and needs, and that both remote and in-person learning can be beneficial in different situations.