Education is very important because it gets a person ready for a promising career and to be a productive member of society. This is why we go to school from a very early age, to learn as much as possible from tutors and teachers who are well-trained. It is no surprise that ever since the pandemic hit, schools across the world have seen a massive drop in enrollment numbers.
The outbreak of the deadly coronavirus started in China back in December 2019 and by January 2020, the virus had started spreading to different parts of the world. Many people in different professions felt unsafe due to how quickly the virus was spreading and decided to work from home or leave their job.
Mid 2020 saw a significant drop in employee numbers in different sectors, especially the education sector. Parents pulled their children out of school because they didn’t want them catching the coronavirus. But, this issue caused a lot of problems with the education process, as students faced the issue of lack of information and an inability to ask their questions in person. Most students have confessed that custom essay writing services like CustomWritings.com were the only way out for them to complete writing assignments and hand them in on time and professionally.
This article will focus on the number of students in new public schools. Plenty of articles have reported that since fall 2019, enrollment has dropped by a whopping 50,000 in New York City. This shows how disruptive the pandemic has been to the American education system.
What is the reason for this sharp drop in public school numbers?
There have been a variety of reasons that have contributed to the 4.5% drop in New York public school student numbers. One of the reasons is parents opting to teach their children at home rather than send them to school. This is known as homeschooling, and the number of students being homeschooled has gone up since the pandemic.
The second reason New York City saw a drop in public school numbers is that most families decided to relocate because of the pandemic. New York was one of the worst-hit places in America, with many parents deeming it unsafe for their children and deciding to move out of state or delay sending them back to school.
Students being enrolled in public schools are a very important factor when it comes to the state deciding on how much funding a school should get. Ever since the pandemic hit, it has been difficult for department officials not just in New York, but across the USA to determine how much money a particular public school needs to keep its doors open. With the recent drop in numbers, certain public schools might be forced to return some of the funds they get if enrollment targets are not hit.
The suggestion of public school funding being cut has been criticized by some school leaders, who feel funding shouldn’t be reduced due to the pandemic. They feel they should receive the regular full funding they’ve been receiving pre-COVID-19 because the pandemic led to more public schools hiring more substitute teachers to take the place of current ones due to illness.
The good news is the city of New York has over 7 billion dollars in coronavirus relief money, according to many state officials. This paints a rosier picture moving forward because many public schools will need it if they are to recover from this pandemic that has taken away millions of lives across the world.
How are things looking now in 2021?
It is well documented that this is the largest number of students the city of New York has lost in recent history, with over 38,000 leaving the system between fall 2019 and fall 2020. From fall 2020 going into 2021, enrollment in New York City schools fell by 13,000 which is roughly the same as 2018 and 2019 before the pandemic hit. In other words, this is a 1% drop in numbers.
Apart from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles also saw a massive drop in student numbers during the pandemic. A 6% drop in the city of angels and a 3% drop in the city of Chicago. At the moment, it is reported that there are just over 1 million students in New York public schools. Data has shown that around 940,000 of them are pursuing their studies at a traditional district school.
Even though New York has many public schools, numbers have been declining in recent years because most families think the city is too expensive to live in. Housing prices are through the roof and those looking for affordable housing feel it is necessary to look elsewhere.
The number of students attending classes in fall 2021 is below 90%, which is lower compared to previous years. This figure excludes students who are in early childhood programs and prekindergarten. When compared to other states, the city of New York saw an increase in the number of young children enrolling, with many programs added to their system to accommodate everyone.
While other areas across the country have seen a massive drop in this department during the pandemic, the same cannot be said about New York. As many as 340,000 kindergarten students across the United States of America didn’t show up physically in class or for virtual lessons when the pandemic was at its peak.
People in positions of power in New York have been asking to see the latest enrollment figures to see the exact number of students not attending classes. Many parents have been asked by schools to send their kids back to school again, so they can attend lessons physically, however some are reluctant to do so. This is because many are unsure how safe the city is, while some feel the pandemic is not over.
The world hasn’t fully recovered from the coronavirus pandemic and with the situation as it stands, the fact that numbers are down in New York public schools is no surprise to anyone. However, as of late 2021, New York has done a great job in dealing with the pandemic and stabilizing its system. This has meant that public schools can offer a safe learning environment for both students and faculty. This is very important if the state wants to see numbers go back to how they were pre-coronavirus from 2022 and beyond.
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