Remote Instruction Is Bad for Mom and Dad

When schools forced kids to stay home, parents reported an uptick in mental-health issues

By Corey A. DeAngelis and Christos A. Makridis. Excerpts:

"we found that pandemic-induced remote instruction made several mental-health outcomes worse for parents of school-age children. A 10-percentage-point increase in the share of public school districts going fully remote in a state was associated with about a 1-point increase in the proportion of parents reporting feelings of anxiety most days in the previous week. The same increase in remote instruction was associated with a 0.73-point increase in the proportion being worried, a 0.61-point increase in being depressed, and a 0.55-point increase in losing interest in daily activities."

"a full transition to remote instruction was associated with an increase of 5 to 10 points in the likelihood of parents reporting mental-health issues most days in the previous week. These negative effects are substantial, translating to about a 33% increase in anxiety, depression and worry, and roughly a 26% increase in a loss of interest in daily activities."

"The data have consistently shown that children’s mortality risk from Covid-19 is low and that schools are among the safest places in a community. Private schools and daycare facilities were able to open right away. Grocery stores and other private businesses the government deemed “essential” never shut down. So, what was the holdup with many public schools?"

"Public schools receive money whether they open their doors or not. By keeping schools closed, teachers unions can effectively hold education hostage to secure a multibillion-dollar ransom from taxpayers."

"public school districts in areas with stronger teachers unions were substantially less likely to reopen in person in 2020."

"major teachers unions influenced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s school reopening guidance."