While the pandemic is in some ways an equalizer, as it affects individuals of all classes, it has also revealed class divides for families and particularly for their children. Those who are unable to work at home include many healthcare workers but also individuals working for the government, bagging groceries, taking out the trash, and delivering packages; the individuals that aren’t quarantining in the coronavirus are largely the individuals in the working class. In addition, as learning moves online, distance learning is proving to be more difficult for those without the proper devices, stable internet connection, or parental guidance for younger students.
For families that are in areas where distance learning is voluntary, such as the Bay Area, which is experimenting with voluntary distance learning for equity reasons, this has led parents and teachers scrambling to figure out how to put together a curriculum for children. While not requiring learning seems to be the most equitable solution, this also leaves behind many students in the public school system, while students in private schools and from homes that can afford supplemental learning are able to continue learning throughout the pandemic.