Minimum Remote & Hybrid Learning Hours Begin Tuesday

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BOSTON – Starting Tuesday, January 19, Massachusetts schools districts teaching online during the pandemic would be required to give every student at least some live interaction with a teacher every day.

The state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted on the change in December, amid concerns many students are battling anxiety and depression.

Schools offering a mix of online and in-person classes would have to average at least 3.5 hours a day of live instruction, which could include online or in-person teaching.

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Schools that are fully online would have to average 4 hours a day of live teaching.

A 2020 Massachusetts showed many students had at least one day every two weeks without live interaction with a teacher.

About one-third of schools currently fail to meet the proposed standards, according to the survey.

The Commonwealth had urged schools to prioritize in-person learning but had no minimums for live instruction.

Framingham Public Schools are currently remote only since early December.