For students at ACHS, this school year does not look anything like it did beforet. Instead of doing in-school learning per usual, many students are being taught in the comfort of their own home, until the country escapes the effects of COVID-19. As much as the students may be struggling or thriving with e-learning, some parents have mixed emotions about it. Some approve of having their kids at home doing school, kept safe from potentially contracting the virus, while others want their kids to get out of the house more.
“My parents would much rather have me be in school,” junior Owen Flores said. “They do not like the idea of students looking at a screen all day and sitting in one spot. They liked how we walked everywhere [in school] to stay active.”
Parents may not like e-learning because of the lack of activity students get during a school day and with students doing remote learning; there is little exercise because students can sit in one spot the entire day. Other parents may not like remote learning because their kids are not learning in a typical school environment, which allows for face-to-face interaction.
According to Erin Richards’ article for USA Today, 56 percent of parents said they wanted to have their students back in school, according to a Gallup poll. They want their kids in school because the teachers may have trouble teaching online learning and students may have trouble understanding. It is also important for students’ social and emotional health to have in person interaction during a school day, according to Richards.
In-person schooling can help students achieve a better education than remote learning because remote learning requires an amount of focus some students may lack. Even though some parents do not approve of remote learning, not all share those opinions. Some parents want their kids to learn remotely, so their children’s risk of contracting COVID-19 are minimized.
“My mom does support e-learning because she works at Oakland Elementary School, so she understands how important e-learning is,” sophomore Carissa Lozano said. “My mom wants me to be home from school because she does not want me to get COVID-19 and wants me to stay healthy and safe.”
There are many different reasons to show whether or not remote learning is beneficial for students. There are parents who feel like their students should be in the building learning, and there are others who believe their students should be playing it safe at home. Whether parents and students agree with e-learning or not, it is safe to say, this school year will go down in ACHS history.
