Parents whose children received virtual instruction were more likely to report poorer well-being for themselves and their children, a federal government survey found.
Parents have been more likely to say they are emotionally affected, worried about job stability and struggling to balance work and childcare if their children are learning, according to a survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published on Thursday.
Some parents also reported that their children’s mental and emotional health had deteriorated while their physical activity had declined.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence about the harm caused by keeping children out of the classroom. Citing the benefits of in-person learning, the federal government and other officials have called for the reopening of schools, although some teachers and parents have safety concerns.
Evidence to date suggests that Covid-19 transmission to schools is minimal if it complies with recommended safety measures. There have been groups of cases when there are deficiencies in security protocols.
The CDC is expected to release an update tomorrow on its remote physical guidance for schools.
“Children who do not receive instruction in person and their parents may be at increased risk of negative mental, emotional or physical health,” the report said. “Community-wide action to reduce the incidence of Covid-19 and support mitigation strategies in schools is extremely important to support students’ return to personal learning.”
Schools across the country closed their classrooms a year ago to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Many have not yet reopened, while others offer a mix of personal and distance learning to reduce the number of students in their buildings and reduce the risk of transmission.
The CDC conducted the survey October 8 – November 13. The researchers surveyed 1,290 adults with a child between the ages of 5 and 12 enrolled in public or private school. Nearly 31% of children attended school in person, said parents, while about 46% were completely removed and 23% received a combination of instructions.
Parents with children in public school reported more often that their child received virtual instruction, compared to parents with children in private school. Black, Hispanic, and other non-white parents said more often that their children are learning practically, compared to white parents.
One year after the coronavirus pandemic, many schools are only partially open, fearing it could fuel the spread of the virus. Experts explain the real risks of spreading Covid-19 in schools and how appropriate controls can change this equation. Illustration: Preston Jessee for The Wall Street Journal
The survey indicated that the pandemic affected the well-being of parents and school-age children.
More than 46% of parents surveyed reported suffering from emotional distress and more than 38% said they had lost some of their work. More than 14% of parents with children learning at a distance reported problems balancing work and childcare, compared to just over 8% of parents with children taking classes personally.
Overall, parents reported that more than 12% of children had poorer physical health and 22% of children had poorer mental and emotional health, regardless of how they learned. Just over half of all parents said their children had decreased physical activity.
“This survey really shows us what pediatricians have seen in their offices across the country, which means that the pandemic and e-learning have put a huge strain on families,” said Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Medical Director for community health and advocacy at the National Children’s Hospital.
“Safe learning in person should be the highest priority for children right now,” added Dr. Beers.
More than half, 54%, of parents whose children studied at a distance reported a lot or a moderate amount of emotional distress.
About a quarter of parents with distance learning children reported that their children’s mental and emotional health deteriorated, compared with about 16% of parents whose children were learning personally.
About 63% of parents with children who learn practically also said that children exercise less, while parents with children who learn personally reported that their children reduced physical activity about 30% of the time.
Parents with children learning in hybrid models also reported less physical activity, time spent outside and with friends, and poorer mental and emotional health among their children more often than parents with children learning fully personally.
However, those parents were less likely to report that their children had decreased physical activity or time spent outside than parents whose children were completely removed.
Write to Brianna Abbott to [email protected]
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