'Learning pods' fill study gap

Some parents in the United States who are worried about sending their children back to school for in-person classes amid the novel coronavirus pandemic are forming "learning pods", small educational groups with a teacher.

The initiative that sees groups of four or five students, sometimes more, studying together, usually at home, is sweeping the country as an infection-conscious alternative to in-person schooling amid pressure from US President Donald Trump and some governors for schools to reopen.

On social media sites, families report setting up learning pods in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and other cities. A month-old Facebook group called Pandemic Pods has more than 37,000 members seeking and giving advice.

Most learning pods use a private teacher or tutor to conduct lessons and help children with their school's virtual lessons. Parents alternate on which house they use to host classes. Tutors are paid $50 to $60 an hour or more, depending on the number of children. Some parents are willing to pay the educators full salary or thousands of dollars for the service, according to CNN.

In Westchester County, north of New York City, where two professional education groups have formed and run pods, each pod for grades K-4 costs $125,000 for the academic year, or $68,750 for a five-month commitment.

With five children in a pod, for example, the cost per student is $13,750 per semester. The more children in the pod, the lower the cost per student.

Alternative ways

That option appeals to Jeanette Matas, 42, a Miami teacher who is wary of returning to the classroom over fears she'll get sick.

Marnie Weinstein, a consultant with Washington-based Weinstein Educational Consulting, told CNN that her inbox is full of emails from parents desperate to find alternative ways for their children to study from home. She is helping many to create learning pods with other parents.

"It could be a room upstairs (in the house) just as long as the teacher can set it up to feel like a classroom," Weinstein said.

The pods are mainly taking place in suburban homes, usually in affluent neighborhoods. Each pod has its own set of rules, like what time school starts or when children have lunch.

However, there has been criticism that families from poorer backgrounds or different ethnicities won't be able to participate.

Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the pods as "luxuries" that low-income parents can't afford.

The fact that the children gather in groups has also raised concerns for virus transmission.

belindarobinson@chinadailyusa.com