With the start of the new school year, classrooms are back in full swing with in-person instruction. Now that students can learn in traditional settings again, remote learning options are beginning to dwindle around the country. However, online schooling is still needed and should still be just as accessible as in-person instruction. 

As students roll in each day for class, the number of cases among the youth is rising. New data from the CDC shows that 26.8% of COVID-19 cases weekly in September are made up of children. Now with the risk of students being quarantined during the school year again, some are looking to remote learning to keep up with school work. Unfortunately for some, remote learning is no longer an option during this new school year. The New York City Public Schools, America’s largest school district, has opened its doors to the students but offers no remote learning option. This has created increasing worry among the families living in New York as COVID-19 cases among children rise. 

Online instruction has its ups and downs, which has made people wary of going back to this type of learning. According to the Research Institute of America, by having more control over their learning and access to material for them to come back to, students have learned and remembered 25% to 60% more material while online compared to traditional schooling. On the other hand, there was around a 30% increase in failing grades among students. This is likely due to the lack of interests students showed during remote learning. 

Students, teachers, and families can all agree virtual learning is in no way the best option for the academic and social growth of the youth. However, keeping students healthy and virus-free is also very important; especially during the current pandemic. At the least,  schools can make online learning easily accessible for students who feel unsafe in a face-to-face environment. 

No one is suggesting that schools all around the country should be closed again. Many are glad in-person learning is back as it brings a sense of normal back into their lives again. But for those who want to protect a loved one or their health, accessing safer learning instruction should be just as easy as doing traditional schooling.