How Will COVID-19 Affect Future Schooling?

            Families, communities, and nations are stronger when parents are involved in the schooling of their children. There has always been a question of how much involvement is good and when there is too much involvement. Another question is coming to forefront: how many parents will continue to homeschool their children once the pandemic is under control?


            I have grandchildren in three different states and five different school districts. They have all been on distance learning for the past month and will continue to the end of the school year. Most of the schools sent chrome books home with the students, and most of them have had Zoom meetings with their teachers and classmates. 


            I do not think that any of them will continue with home schooling once schools are open again. The home-schooling experience is easier when the children are a little older. My daughter with five children under age 11 is a little overwhelmed. This family has a schedule where the children do chores, complete homework, exercise, and have screen time. The father in this family works from home, so he spends long hours locked in the bedroom with work responsibilities each day. However, he is available to help with family emergencies and during evenings and weekends. He takes the children out for frequent bike rides.


            Another daughter has a husband whose job is “non-essential,” and he has taken over the schooling responsibility for the children. I think that they have a more formal arrangement for homework. Each child does a certain amount of reading and a piano lesson from an older sibling. The father teaches an art lesson each afternoon. 


            I do not know any details about the schooling taking place in the other three homes. I am certain that it is taking place, but I do not know much about what they are doing. One thing that I know for sure is that the children are doing lots of reading because it is a family tradition. 

I remember fondly seeing my mother relaxing in the evening with a book. She was particularly fond of western novels written by Zane Gray. I learned to read in the first grade, and I have not stopped reading. My children are all good readers, and they have passed their love for reading along to their children. I often see my grandchildren carrying a book with them or curled up in a chair reading. Reading is a critical skill for success in school and on the job.

I veered off the subject and must get back to it. Even though home schooling was thrust unexpectedly on millions of families, many of the parents are enjoying the opportunity to develop stronger relationships with their children. When one or both parents are working full time and children are rushing from one activity to another, it is difficult to carve time out of busy schedules for family together. Many families are taking advantage of time together.

Cal Thomas published an article at The Daily Signal about home schooling. He indicated that “some parents” might find additional benefits from schooling their children at home besides the family bonding. “Concerns about what is taught in public schools – from sex education, to incomplete or even biased views of American history, as well as their failure to uphold moral and spiritual principles (and in some cases undermining them) have made homeschooling attractive to growing numbers of parents.”

Thomas noted that “There are about 2.5 million home school students in grades K-12 in the United States” – a population that continues to increase. The United States is not alone in this increase in home schooling, and other nations – Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Russia, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Kingdom – have seen increases also. He wrote that home schooling “cuts across virtually all demographic lines,” political views, income levels, races, and parental education levels. Thomas closed his article with these words.

Public education remains the single biggest monopoly in America. Most politicians, with exceptions in some states, won’t allow school choice because they fear the wrath of teachers’ unions and the loss of campaign contributions.

For those who are able, homeschooling is becoming an attractive option. In that sense, the coronavirus might be a blessing in disguise.

My family is fortunate in that the grandchildren all attend good schools where they are taught well. This is one reason why I believe that they will all return to their schools when they open. Having said that, I believe that any or all my children would consider homeschooling one or more children if they thought it would be better for their family. They are all highly capable of teaching their children if the need should arrive. In fact, I would not be surprised to discover that some or all my grandchildren are ahead of their peers next fall. When parents get involved in school, their families, communities, and nations are strengthened.