With the new school year starting in a few weeks, there is still a debate about schools reopening. A recent national survey shows 55 percent of parents want schools to reopen for in-person learning. The financial website WalletHub asked more than 1,200 parents whether they prefer students to return to the classroom in the fall and their reasons.
The survey included questions about one’s ability to work from home, the reasons schools should reopen and the reasons not to reopen. See the list of questions and responses below.
The number one reason parents think schools should reopen is kids’ development, followed by parents being able to go back to work and children eating properly. 32 percent of parents are not able to work from home.
Perhaps not surprisingly, politics seems to play a role in parents’ preferences, two-thirds of conservative parents favor schools reopening, while less than half of liberal parents support reopening.
Likewise, 31 percent more fathers than mothers want schools to reopen.
Questions and responses to WalletHub’s survey (conducted from July 21-28):
| Do you want schools to reopen for in-person learning? | |
| Yes | 55% |
| No | 44% |
| I don’t have an opinion on the matter | 1% |
| Please provide the following information: Parent ability to work remotely | |
| Possible | 68% |
| Not possible | 32% |
| Should teachers who work remotely…?(check all that apply) | |
| Work longer hours | 10% |
| Get paid less | 8% |
| Give up vacation days | 6% |
| None of the above | 82% |
| What is the biggest reason why schools should not reopen? | |
| Concerns with public health | 65% |
| Concerns with family’s health | 19% |
| Concerns with teachers’ health | 11% |
| None of the above, schools should reopen | 4% |
| Other | 1% |
| What is the biggest reason why schools should reopen? | |
| It’s important for kids’ development | 81% |
| So that parents can go back to work | 10% |
| So that children can eat properly | 3% |
| Parents need a break | 2% | None of the above, children should not go back to school | 3% |
| Other | 1% |
For more information, click here.
