Remote learning should be made a permanent option at Schreiber.  As cases of COVID-19 continue to spread, some students question whether or not going to school in person is safe.  

Promoting safety while still giving students an opportunity to learn is essential, as missing a day of school can be detrimental to students trying to learn or prepare for upcoming tests.  Giving students who are feeling sick, awaiting COVID-19 tests, or have been exposed, the option of learning fully online for the day or week would greatly minimize the risk of COVID-19 spreading in school.

“Giving kids the option to be able to learn from home for a day when they are sick would make school much safer,” said sophomore Austin Hyde.  

In addition, remote learning is a much better option for students who have loved ones or family members at a high risk of contracting COVID-19, either due to their age or pre-existing conditions.  For these students, getting and bringing home the virus from school could be devastating.  Despite this, these students are still forced to attend school in person, which could potentially mean life or death for those family members, assuming COVID-19 spreads.  

“Remote learning should be a permanent option during COVID-19 to be considerate towards those with health problems or those who could possibly expose COVID-19 to those with health problems,” said junior Melisa Li. 

All students deserve the right to participate in school and learn without needing to worry about possibly endangering their family or friends.  

“People shouldn’t have to worry about infecting their family with COVID-19 just by going to school,” said sophomore Tej Parekh.

Promoting the safety of students, while still giving them the opportunity to learn should be Schreiber’s highest priority, and if some students do not feel comfortable going into school, especially with Omicron spreading rampantly, they should not be forced to.  Even for students that do not have family or friends at high risk for testing positive, everyone deserves to learn without the worry of getting sick.  Furthermore, the rigid nature of the school’s policy is problematic, as in-person classes in cramped classrooms simply do not feel like a safe space for some.

“It’s unfair that people are forced to come to school during COVID-19 if they don’t feel safe,” said sophomore Tyler Huang.

Despite remote learning being a less effective way of learning for some, it is worth it, if it allows students to stay safe while attending classes.  To accommodate the feelings and thoughts of all students, Schreiber should offer remote learning as a long-term option.