Millions of Students Have Limited Contact With Teachers | Education News

Millions of schoolchildren in the United States remain in virtual-only school, and some 5.5 million of them have limited contact with a live teacher – even online.

According to a report by USAFacts, about 65% of households with children used online learning during the pandemic, and about the same percentage have contact with a teacher at least four days per week. But 11% of households with children, approximately 5.5 million children, had no contact with a teacher in the last week, as opposed to the five days of in-person classes they would receive during a normal school year.

While the majority of households learning remotely use online resources, about 14% of households with children use paper materials at home, and 8% reported sometimes, rarely, or never having access to a computer for educational purposes.

The report, derived from U.S. Census Bureau data, illustrates a trend of children in households being more likely to receive online instruction as their household income increased. Additionally, 23% of households with children have had classes canceled this year due to the pandemic, and low-income households were more likely to have classes canceled.

Learning environments differ from state to state as well, with about 85% of households with children in Washington learning remotely, while only 25% used online learning in Wyoming. These varying rates are a result of both infection rates, which vary significantly state to state, and also the varying public health measures in each state.