Alternating day classes or micro-schools: Parents will have tough choices and more costs

BY ANDREW STEWART

As the summer starts to wind down our attention has amplified on the upcoming fall school year and the possible issues around online learning and alternating classes. As working parents, we are faced with the agonizing truth that in-person school might not be safe. And if online is our only option, it will be ineffective, isolating, and unable to provide the care many parents will need. We have researched and discussed an alternate form of education called micro-school, where small groups of children learn together in private homes usually fewer than ten children.

The idea and benefit are parents will share supervision of students during periods of online learning or they pool the money necessary to hire a full-time teacher to come to them and work directly with the children. Interest in this model has been growing in the U.S. for years and the pandemic has dramatically boosted the profile because it could provide families with a schooling option that feels safe. It also allows kids to have fun, build social skills, and offer parents a break from what happened earlier this year when schools were shut down. Depending on how the pods are set up some of the drawbacks are it can be pricey, complicated to organize, and self-selecting. Also depending on the experience level of the teacher, this approach can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars a month per family, raising concerns about even more academic inequities for low-income families during the coming school year.

My thoughts are that neither online learning nor micro-schooling will be healthy for parents’ mindset, energy, and patience and therefore will negatively affect family households. I look back at how we had to reorganize our house to accommodate two workspaces, an area for the children to learn and play, facilitate lunches, snacks, bathroom breaks and then transition into all the regular evening tasks. As I was writing this article it was announced that July 30^th Ontario’s premier will unveil plans on how schools will reopen in September. Some questions may be answered but I am certain there will be many unanswered questions as well.

You might be asking how this ties into or affects insurance? I know a lot of parents who purchased different forms of children’s insurance to offset the risks and costs of accidents, serious injuries, medical treatment from a doctor or dentist, prescription drugs, or crutches. You may be thinking, “I don’t need this type of insurance. My government health care provides benefits.” or “My work plan has me covered”. In both situations, you might be only half-right! That is because when it comes to government and employer’s plans, there are expenses that you are covered for and many expenses that you are not covered for! Expenses that are not covered can include casts, crutches, tensor bandages, and other medical supplies, physiotherapy, dental care, and ambulance fees. What is more, even when you are covered for a specific expense, it is not always for the full amount you were expecting! That is where these policies help fill in the gaps.

Understandably I would be questioning as a parent if this coverage is even essential if my child is not at school and is not nearly at the same risk if they are home all day. Arguably the biggest benefit of insurance is that it offers parents better peace of mind. And for parents who already must worry about adjusting work schedules, keeping up with expenses, or trying to find employment we are already doing the most we can to keep our children safe.

Going back to the micro-schools, another concern is that families may not know how to minimize COVID risks. When you add together the teacher and all the kids’ family members, a seemingly small micro-school ends up including dozens of people, and the more people in it, the greater the risk for coronavirus exposure.