Colleges and universities classes should remain online for the rest of 2020

Many colleges and universities across Ontario and Canada have yet to announce when or if they will be opening in September for in-class programs, or if all programs will be run online. In my opinion, colleges and universities should not be allowing students physically through their doors, even if the pandemic is lifted in fall 2020. There are pros and cons to this statement. It will be a lot harder to maintain the Corona Virus if someone in a university or college contracts the disease, because there are a higher number of students and staff members within most post-secondary schools on a daily basis. Although I would like to say otherwise, it is reality that not everyone will wear a mask, and it is nearly impossible to force someone to do so. The final con I am going to address regarding this topic is that not everyone has access to internet, so they can’t complete assignments. Similarly, some people still live at home with their parents and siblings and may have to share a computer with said siblings or other family members. So, not every student has access to a computer at home or may not have access to more than one computer. Likewise, I have seen multiple professors expressing the difficulty with delivering lectures to their students through online platforms like Zoom and Google Classroom. Many of these issues, which can also extend to students, have to do with connectivity issues, like having low or minimal signal when it comes to Wi-Fi. As someone who lives out in the country, Wi-Fi can be fairly spotty here. As for pros for this topic, there are quite a number of them. Working online and from home may not be ideal for most people, but it may be the safest way for colleges and universities to function. I believe colleges and universities should function on an online basis for the remainder of 2020 just to play it safe. This way universities and colleges may be able to cut down the contraction of Covid-19 cases in post-secondary students and staff. I also think it would be a good idea to continue running post-secondary programs online, because many students have low or no income while they are in school, so not having to catch a bus or drive to school everyday would be a pro. Although there are a large number of students who do not have classes every day, it will still save them money not having to commute. Students would not have to move away from home, again, to attend school or live in residence. Personally, I have not lived in residents myself, while attending college, but I have heard quite a few horror stories about some residence buildings. Not having to physically attend school, students can complete their courses from the comfort of their own homes. Many colleges and universities also have a variety of programs, only available in the form of online learning. If post-secondary schools adhere to online learning for a little while, I think it will be a good contribution to flattening the Covid curve.