What Kids Care About: Education And The Coronavirus
(NAPSI)—The debate over schools reopening during the pandemic has included a great deal of feedback from educators and parents. But what about the students themselves: How are they feeling? Are they worried about catching the virus—and what do they think about safety measures and about remote learning or coming back to the classroom?
To find answers, the EdChoice Public Opinion Tracker and Morning Consult asked teens about their schooling, the pandemic and other hot topics.
What Students Want
Spoiler alert: Young people are just as uncertain as grownups. When asked for three words that describe going back to school, “nervous,” “excited” and “confused” were the most common responses.
In all 76 percent of the students—and older and minority teens in particular—are concerned about the pandemic.
The top two things students are worried about are infecting a family member (81 percent) or getting the virus (70 percent) but they’re also worried about not being able to see their friends, missing classes and taking classes online. A significant number of teens—25 percent—say they’re worried about not having access to the food they normally get at school. Nearly 70 percent think other students would take wearing masks seriously, but less than half believe their peers will socially distance and refrain from sharing objects with each other.
As for returning to school, 64 percent said they’d prefer online only or with a mix of online and in-person learning. Just over three-quarters reported having Internet access at home to do their online class work.
What Students Think
The two most important issues on teens’ minds are the coronavirus outbreak (61 percent) and Black Lives Matter movement (60 percent). LGBTQ rights, police/criminal justice reform, climate change and this year’s presidential election werent nearly as important to the students. Falling to between 26 percent and 27 percent.
Teens reported being most comfortable discussing current events and social issues with their friends (84 percent), and parents or guardians (78 percent). They were less comfortable with teachers (56 prcent) and least comfortable with their friends’ parents or guardians (39 percent).
As schools have reopened in varying degrees, it will be interesting to find out how American teens’ opinions and behaviors change throughout the remainder of this year and into the future.
Learn More
For further facts and stats and to see the whole survey, go to www.edchoice.org.
On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Discuss This Article
MOST POPULAR THE CONCORDIAN
"Bohemian Rhapsody" Will Rock You By Laura Buchanan
"Fallout 76": A Small State in a Big Game By Caleb Zopp
"Girl in the Spider's Web": A Must-See for Men and Women By Savannah Cooper
"The Grinch": More Science Than Art By Shannon C. White
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE CONCORDIAN NEWS
- Campus Carry Bill Receives Opposition from College Leaders
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" Will Rock You
- "Fallout 76": A Small State in a Big Game
- "Girl in the Spider's Web": A Must-See for Men and Women
- "The Grinch": More Science Than Art
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Spreads on College Campuses
- Concord Senior Oral Frazier Signs Book Deal
RECENT THE CONCORDIAN CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Reads to Kickoff Spring
- Curbing Colorectal Cancer in Minority Populations