As American schools try to teach remotely during the coronavirus crisis, many students are missing class by not completing assignments or not even logging in at all, The New York Times reported on Monday.
The rate of those not participating appears particularly high in schools with many low-income students, which educators are concerned is exacerbating already significant gaps in academic achievement among those of different economic backgrounds.
While those at schools with students from wealthier parents report an almost 100% participation, the level is often less than half that at districts with pupils from less well-off families.
This has led some to talk about the need to have many students repeat a grade or, at the very least, have school in the summer.
For example, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, with 38,000 students, includes an area with one of the nation’s highest child-poverty rates. Many parents are continuing to work full-time, leaving many students without an adult to supervise their online learning, according to the Times.
Eric Gordon, the district’s chief executive, added that some 30 to 40 percent of the students do not have reliable home access to the internet. To address this problem, the district will soon send out printed work packets and free meals to the homes of students.
Many schools are attempting to give digital devices to students who don’t have them at home, with Los Angeles, for example, sending them to more than 100,000 pupils.
Even with that, however, Los Angeles County high school teacher Heber Marquez estimated that just 45 percent of his students were showing up to Zoom classroom meetings, explaining that many students are busy with siblings to take care of while their parents are working.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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