Survey: 70% of teens concerned about attending in-person classes amid pandemic

A new survey from Junior Achievement by the Research Firm Engine Insights shows that nearly 70% of teens are concerned about attending school in-person.

News 12 Staff

Aug 18, 2020, 12:31 AM

Updated 1,439 days ago

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According to a recent survey, most teens are concerned about attending classes in-person as schools are expected to open their doors this fall.
Upcoming senior Helen Chen is opting for 100% remote learning this fall. She says it's because she lives with her grandparents and is worried she will give them coronavirus.
"It does pose a higher risk for them, and I'm concerned," she says.
Chen is not alone in her worry. A new survey from Junior Achievement by the Research Firm Engine Insights shows that nearly 70% of teens are concerned about attending school in-person.
Student Tamia McArthur says, "My mom had at first wanted me to go to the school building because she said it was my last year, but we've been speaking about it and we might just opt for complete remote learning."
For McArthur, she says it's her siblings who she's worried about getting sick. One has asthma and the other is only three months old.
"When I come inside, I quarantine myself for a week or a week and a half or something like that," McArthur says.
While most students surveyed also said the quality of their online education in the spring was either fair or poor, Joseph Peri, the president and CEO of Junior Achievement of New York, says remote learning is a process.
"Kids always crave structure and certainty and schedules, so I think if we get that working out, if it's moving along and proceeding, kids can get used to a new normal and get comfortable with it," he says.
Chen says she's already began to adapt to the new way of learning.
"I'm slowly adjusting a lot better and I think that going into the fall, I will have more experience with remote learning, so it will be much better," she says.
 


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