The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many Christian schools around the world into uncertainty. To contain the spread of the virus, most governments have mandated schools and educational institutions to close. Because of this, many Christian schools have faced challenges as they navigate distance learning and ensure safety for students as schools reopen. Many institutions have also faced challenges in providing children’s education funds to underprivileged students.
Recently, the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) held the third nationwide survey of Christian school’s responses to the pandemic. Over 730 Christian schools participated, and the findings showed that most of the Christian schools have reopened. Below are the current trends and situations of Christian schools for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Reopening
About 90% of Christian schools with in-person instruction have re-opened for the 2020-2021 academic year. The remaining schools are offering virtual learning environments in addition to in-person instruction as part of a blended learning method of teaching. The re-opening of Christian schools was strictly implemented through the input of local health departments and medical personnel in schools. According to data from the survey, the current COVID-related protocols and instructional format (on-campus, distance learning, or blended learning) will most likely remain for the rest of the year.
Enrollment
According to the survey, about 33.8% of the schools that participated have reports of an increase in enrollment from the previous year. In addition to that, data from the survey also showed that 80% of the Christian schools wouldn’t have gained more students if not for COVID-19. Christian schools that have an increase in enrollment are those that reopened with on-campus instruction or those with support for special education. Additional data have shown that this is due to the dissatisfaction of parents with distance learning or virtual learning environments.
With this enrollment trend, supporting a children education trust is an excellent way to help underprivileged students to enroll in their Christian school of choice. By donating to a children’s education fund, schools and scholarship-granting organizations can provide more scholarships to students from low-income families.
Teacher Wellbeing
The education profession is one of the most stressful professions during the pandemic. According to the survey, the greatest challenge during the pandemic is overworking of staff and teachers. Because of this, supporting teachers’ wellbeing has been a top concern. Luckily, in response to this concern, 80% of the Christian schools reported that they have undertaken various ways to support the wellbeing of teachers.
Post-COVID Plans
All the COVID-19 modifications in Christian schools will most likely stay the rest of the year. Nonetheless, the survey also showed findings that many school leaders have post-COVID plans in place to ensure the best learning environment for students after the pandemic. While there are still many challenges and questions surrounding the current instructional methods like distance learning, Christian schools are engaging in strategic planning to plan the post-COVID future.
Final Thoughts
Many Christian schools have been hit hard due to the pandemic. By supporting a children education trust, not only will we be able to send students to schools or help the wellbeing of educators, but we can also promote Christian education during these challenging times.
