By Alexis Coore '20
2020 did not have the best of starts; in January there were threats of war and in February Australia was on fire. However, many would agree that March takes the cake. Early March saw the spread of a highly contagious virus known as COVID-19, which has since evolved into a full-blown pandemic. With 250,000 confirmed cases, 44 states have decided to shut school doors, including Dunellen High School. In order to continue educating its students, DHS has moved to online learning. Though convenient, the decision might be harming students rather than helping them.
DHS first implemented online learning on March 16th. For attendance, students are expected to participate in daily check-ins and to complete all assignments given to them in a timely manner. The actual school day is supposed to follow a half-day schedule, which starts at 7:49 and ends at 11:59. It is a relatively straightforward mode of operation. Students are required to check their Google Classroom pages in the morning for the day’s assignments…. They meet with their teachers in “Google Hangouts” or on “Google Meet” to …. However, without a mandatory structure, many students may be lagging behind in their studies and losing motivation to do their work.
This could be due to the number of family problems students are now forced to face throughout the entire day. According to a study done by the National Children’s Alliance, over 700,000 children are abused annually in the United States. Sadly, that is only those who report it. The Child Advocacy Center of Tennessee reports that over three million children face some type of abuse. A DHS student could very easily be included in these statistics. Besides abuse, students might have to face constant arguing, a lack of food in the house, or may live in a very disruptive home. No matter the issue, it may be near impossible to follow the online learning guidelines necessary for Dunellen’s current situation.
Online learning may still be difficult for those who have a supportive and enjoyable home life. Nearly seven million Americans have filed for unemployment due to COVID-19; the highest amount in US history. Entire families have lost their jobs, including students whose households depended on the income. Though stimulus checks are given to struggling families, $1,200 is not enough money to keep a larger household functioning. On the other hand, some teens might be working even longer hours in order to compensate for lost income. This might render them unable to handle the workload teachers are assigning them.
Although most assignments resemble the work teachers assigned in the classroom, some students claim teachers are assigning more work than they are used to. Reports from DHS seniors include daily workloads of the same difficulty when they are usually spread out, an abundance of work from classes that typically do not assign any work, and deadlines that have been greatly moved up. The mental strain from the non-stop work has done no favors for the already fragile state of mind teenagers find themselves in. DHS senior Sara Nemeckay states, “I’d rather eat 20 bricks than do another week [of online learning].” Though this may be an exaggeration, Ms. Nemeckay has made it clear that she is no fan of this method of learning.
As of right now, there is no better alternative to online learning. There is no other way to have students progress in their studies without going to school. However, this does not mean online learning is a good thing. This method, along with the general issues presented with a national virus, places an unintended amount of strain on the students subject to this new system. Hopefully, modifications can be put in place to help alleviate the pain being felt by all those affected.
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