Amid the COVID-19 Omicron variant surge, our schools have not yet shut down. This variant is said to be highly contagious. Many students and teachers are out, and that number continues to increase every day. Half of our classrooms are vacated. Teachers are having to substitute to fill in for absent teachers. Even so, some people choose to not wear a mask or social distance, increasing the danger for others. 

Distance learning can be hard, but it is not impossible. Some students have younger siblings who are not yet vaccinated. Others have elderly at home who are vulnerable and more likely to get very sick, or even need intensive care. Our schools should go on distance learning for at least 2 weeks to decrease this chance. UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara campuses have already announced that they will be starting their 2022 classes temporarily on remote learning.

Students would be able to keep up with their classes/work and not fall behind. Some students are missing a lot of work because of their absence. Teachers are struggling with keeping up with both online and in-person class communications.

It is not safe to continue education in person. Our schools should go back into Virtual/Distance Learning in order to keep everyone safe and keep the COVID-19 cases down. We need to put the safety of students and faculty first. Education is important, but we cannot learn if we have to focus on getting better first. Our health should be the first priority.