Survey: Parents weigh-in on education, exposure risk during the pandemic | The Numbers Racket

The way in which children attend school and receive instruction has changed dramatically since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in the spring. 

While schools have resumed instruction either in-person, remotely or through a hybrid of the two, many parents are finding themselves torn between worrying about the quality of their kids’ education and the risk of exposing them to COVID-19, a survey by the Pew Research Center found. 

Online v. In-person

The survey of parents of k-12 students found that 68 percent of parents whose children receive at least some online instruction are very or somewhat concerned about their children falling behind.

Meanwhile, 56 percent of parents whose children receive in-person instruction only felt the same. 

The gap between satisfied parents grows even more when asked about how their children’s school has handled instruction during the pandemic. 

Ninety percent of parents whose children receive in-person instruction only said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the way the children’s school has been handling instruction this fall. 

By comparison, 76 percent of parents whose children received at least some online instruction said the same. 

Falling Behind

While 65 percent of parents surveyed expressed at least some concern about their children falling behind due to pandemic-related disruptions, lower-income parents were the most concerned about their children falling behind. 

55 … the percentage of upper income parents who are very or somewhat concerned about their children falling behind in school as a result of any disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. 

63 … the percentage of middle-income parents who are very or somewhat concerned about their children falling behind in school as a result of any disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. 

72 … the percentage of lower-income parents who are very or somewhat concerned about their children falling behind in school as a result of any disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. 

COVID Prevention

Parents whose children were receiving at least some in-person instruction said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the steps taken to prevent virus spread. 

Eighty-six percent of parents whose children received at least some in-person instruction said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the steps their children’s school is taking to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 

Sixty-two percent of parents whose children received at least some in-person instruction said they were very or somewhat concerned about their children being exposed to the coronavirus at school