Fellow students living through COVID-19: Did you know that we’re making history? America has seen school closures before but not as large-scale as we see today. In the wake of past natural disasters, schools closed while communities rebuilt. Soon after, they opened, and education continued as usual. Today, we do not see a quick recovery happening. With many schools continuing to remain in part or completely online this fall, a hybrid approach to distance learning must be developed to allow all students to have equal access to the proper education they would ordinarily receive on campus.

When learning was classroom-based, students did not rely on having a computer or internet access at home. In a response to Hawaii’s congressional delegation, schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto explained that the “(HIDOE) is unable to guarantee connectivity for online access,” and there are limitations beyond those that schools can assist with. Kishimoto estimated that only 80%-95% of Hawaii’s 179,000 public school students have “consistent access to educational material.”

If video calls are the only way for students to continue learning alongside their peers, thousands of students have been, or will be, left in social and educational isolation.

These past few months, students took the time to be worry-free from school because many assignments were optional. It’s difficult to find the motivation and discipline to do assignments that do not affect one’s grades. However, what students did not realize is that brushing off optional assignments only hurts their education as they progress in the subject without mastering the necessary material. Final grades were solely based on the first three quarters of the school year, which allowed students to continue to graduate or advance a grade despite missing an entire chunk of material.

Although most schools will continue to host their summer programs completely online to comply with safety guidelines, schools must adapt based on the experiences learned this past spring.

There should be no lessons cut short, optional assignments or students left without consistent education. Distance learning should reflect the way schools are in-person. Even though students can’t be together physically, they should still work together through project groups or video calls, similar to working in groups in class.

Secondly, attendance is an important part of secondary education. It can restrict students from advancing or graduating, so monitoring attendance during video calls should be mandatory for students, similar to a classroom. Mobile or free Wi-Fi can also smooth the transition to online education, closing the gap between students with and without internet at home.

As I transition into college this fall, the thought of online classes terrifies me. I was excited about the idea of participating in the university structure of learning, large lecture classes and in-depth research labs. Now, there will be little differentiation in learning as all students learn behind a computer screen.

Perhaps this fall, as restrictions slowly lift, a track system with continued online schooling can allow students on campus in smaller groups. Small groups could meet on campus and rotate throughout each week to allow students to return to classrooms while respecting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Even though distance learning this spring was not a good experience, it is inevitable in our future. It is suitable for the situation we see today.

The continued efforts from schools and supporting organizations, whether it be mobile hotspots, free internet or take-home devices, can help distance learning become comparatively more equitable. This new normal must not stray far away from what learning was before COVID-19, but rather, should preserve innovative practices and create a unique mixture of digital and in-person learning techniques.

Michaela Sy is a Pearl City High School student, class of 2020.