A New York Times opinion submission.
I think all Gen Z-ers will remember the moment they learned schools would close for a two-week period. There were people who cheered; they didn’t yet understand the extremity of the situation; they didn’t yet know that two weeks would turn into months, and for many, over a year before they would enter their school building again.
My New York City private high school reopened its doors towards the end of October 2020. As a junior, I can attend school in person a few days a week. On the first day back, there were six excited students in the classroom with me while the other half was present on Zoom. After the first week, the students per class dropped to three or less. Now, in many of my classes, I am the only student who attends in person.
The difference between the days I am home and the days I am in school is drastic, to say the least. Sitting in the classroom, face to face with my teachers, and side by side with other students (the few that still show up), makes learning more dynamic and encourages conversation and connection, with minimal distractions. From this experience, I truly appreciate that learning in that ideal setting is both a privilege and a gift. So why are students choosing to stay home?
Outside of legitimate pandemic-related concerns, for the majority of my fellow private-school classmates, attending school and making the most out of their education took a backseat to their personal convenience. I agree that the perks of at-home school are enticing: periodic naps, attending in pj’s, time for snacking and exercising, sleeping in, and a break from high school social anxieties.
As much as I hate waking up early, I am not ready to sacrifice my education for another hour of sleep. The hard part is that I didn’t realize the toll online school was taking on both my mental wellbeing and my education until I went back to school. The research is clear, without debate, live school is better. If online school remains a widespread option, students may opt out of in-person learning before having or taking the opportunity to remember what being an in-person student feels like. Call me old-fashioned, but I miss when notes were taken with paper and pen, cell phones were locked up in backpacks, science experiments were hands-on, and when reading a book, you actually held a real paperback. The kids of today and future generations deserve an education that is not dominated by a computer screen. They deserve live social interactions with their peers, support from and connections with their teachers, and the chance to navigate a community outside their own family.
Works Cited
Bellafante, Ginia. “Are We Losing a Generation of Children to Remote Learning?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Nov. 2020.
“Academic, Mental and Physical Benefits of in-Person School Outweigh Virus Risks, Pediatrics Group Says.” ABC7 Los Angeles, KABC-TV, 1 July 2020.
Stern, Evan. “Benefits of in-Person Learning Outweigh the Risks.” The Michigan Daily, 21 Mar. 2021.