Long County, Georgia schools have been virtually learning for the past 2 weeks. But now us Preschool parents are faced with difficult decisions of returning to in-person learning vs. pulling our preschoolers out completely. We have to weigh various factors such as the nature of our jobs, social distancing guidelines, and community spread of COVID while deciding what is best for our preschoolers.

Virtual Pre-K is a great solution for these circumstances when we do not want our children to attend in person school. Georgia Bright from the Start has funded virtual learning for grades K-12 but the deem it is unnecessary for Pre-k students to continue virtually learning for long periods of time.

I do understand that there are benefits (academic, social, emotional, and physical) that children receive from in-person learning, which cannot be achieved through a virtual learning environment. However, virtual learning for Pre-K student can be used effectively to nurture a child’s all-round development.

Georgia compulsory education laws require children between the ages of six and 16 to attend school (20-2-690, et seq.) According to gadoe.org, “Public Kindergarten is available in every school system, but it is not mandatory.” It is unfair that a 5 year old in kindergarten can have funding for virtual schooling but a 4 year old (preschooler) does not get the same funding.

WTOC reached out to Georgia Bright from the Start, and a spokesman said “Georgia’s Pre-K program approves distance learning for temporary closures. However, face-to-face instruction is most appropriate for very young children.” This statement goes against Georgia’s own law that a kindergarten student is young enough to not be mandated to receive an education.

We as parents should have the right for all the children to be treated equally. It does not matter if our children are four or 18. If these kids are enrolled in school they should all receive the same benefits of the school programs offered.

We should be the ones to make the decisions about our children’s education and how they receive it (virtual or in-person). We should not be forced to decide between the safety of our children during a pandemic or their education.