Biden hits the goal for schools even as many students continue their learning remotely

US President Joe Biden has met his goal of having most elementary and middle schools open for full, in-person learning in his first 100 days, according to new survey data, but the share of students choosing to return has continued to lag far behind. The survey, conducted in March by the Education Department and released Thursday, found that 54 per cent of public schools below high school were offering full-time classroom learning to any student who wanted it.

It marks steady progress since January, when the figure was 46 per cent. But even with that milestone achieved, most students continued to learn at least partly away from school. Almost 4 in 10 students continued to take all their classes remotely, the survey found, and another 2 in 10 were split between classroom and remote learning. The disparity reflects a trend that has alarmed education officials at all levels: Even when schools reopen, many families have opted to keep students at home for remote learning.

It has been most pronounced among Black, Hispanic and Asian American students, most of whom spent no time in a classroom in March, the survey found. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona applauded the nation's progress but also drew attention to racial disparities, saying schools must do more to reach all students. While we've made important progress, I will not be satisfied until 100 per cent of schools are safely open for full time in-person learning for all students,” Cardona said in a statement.

The department will continue to work with students, families, educators, states and districts, to ensure our education system serves all students, not just some. Among students of all races, there was a modest shift toward classroom learning in March, but gains were largest among whites. Just more than half of white students were learning entirely in-person, compared to about a third of Black and Hispanic students. Only 15 per cent of Asian Americans were learning entirely in the classroom.

Progress has been equally uneven based on geography, the survey found. Half of all students in the South and Midwest were learning entirely in-person in March, compared to less than 20 per cent in the West and Northeast. Still, the Northeast saw the largest gains, with Connecticut doubling its share of fourth grade students learning fully in-person, from 17 per cent to 35 per cent. Wyoming had the largest share of fourth grade students attending full-time in the classroom, at 94 per cent, while California had the lowest, with 5 per cent.

Schools in rural areas were the most likely to be opened, while schools in cities have been the slowest to reopen. Across the country, younger children they are less likely than adults to get seriously ill from COVID-19  have returned to the classroom at higher rates. As of March, more than 4 in 10 fourth grade students were back in the classroom full-time, the survey found, compared to a third of eighth graders. The latest survey reflects a period of growing momentum in the push to open schools.

In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said students could sit 3 feet apart in classrooms as long as they're wearing masks, down from a suggested 6 feet. Several states adopted the smaller recommendation, allowing more students to return to schools. At the same time, Biden was pushing states to make teachers and other school workers a priority in vaccine rollouts.