Most Americans say that schools should focus on the academic needs of students over the health risks when deciding whether to reopen during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll from Pew Research Center.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released new guidance on reopening schools for in-person learning as more Americans say that the academic risk that students will fall behind without in-person learning should be the more important factor, over the risk of spreading the virus to teachers and students.
When asked what K-12 schools should focus on when deciding to reopen in the fall:
- 61% said the possibility that students will suffer academically without in-person classes.
- 48% said the risk that teachers will contract or spread the coronavirus.
- 45% said the risk that students will get or spread the virus.
A similar poll from Pew last summer showed:
- 48% said to focus on the possibility that students will suffer academically without in-person classes.
- 60% said to focus on the risk that teachers will contract or spread the coronavirus.
- 61% said to focus on the risk that students will get or spread the virus.
Pew found that “Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to point to concerns about students’ academic progress and emotional well-being as factors that should be given a lot of consideration in decisions about reopening schools.”
- 76% of Republicans said to give a lot of consideration to students falling behind academically without in-person classes, 51% of Democrats said the same.
- 65% of Republicans said to give a lot of consideration to the negative affect distancing can have on students’ emotional well-being, 46% of Democrats said the same.
Pew surveyed 10,121 adults in the U.S. from February 16-21, 2021 with a margin of error of +/- 1.6 percentage points.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.