San Diego area school teachers will begin providing in-person instruction to illegal immigrant children this week, despite refusing to return to in-person teaching at public schools due to COVID-19.
The San Diego Convention Center has become the new home to hundreds of teenage illegal immigrants who have recently crossed the nation’s southern border.
The San Diego County Office of Education has agreed to provide volunteer teachers for girls staying at the facility.
“We definitely want to introduce them to the arts, the visual arts and the performing arts,” said Roberto Carrillo, a principal at the County Office of Education, to San Diego’s KPBS.
“We’ll give them the opportunity to start expressing themselves through written formats, giving them a basic understanding of the English language.”
Carrillo noted about 13 teachers have volunteered so far. KPBS reports instruction could begin as early as Tuesday.
But not everyone is excited over the learning initiative.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond told Fox News, “We have 130,000 kids who haven’t been allowed in a classroom for over a year in the San Diego Unified School District.”
He added, “It’s great that there’s in-person learning for those unaccompanied minors from Central America, but I wish every child in San Diego County was allowed the same opportunity for in-person teaching.”
Wait a minute… So you’re saying it is ok for San Diego teachers to teach in person… just not to San Diego children? https://t.co/jE56xYcQT3
— Reopen California Schools (@ReopenCASchools) March 29, 2021
The San Diego Unified School District currently holds online-only education.
The district plans to return to hybrid learning with a combination of online and in-person classes on April 12.
A spokesperson for the school district noted, “The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) is providing the educational program for the unaccompanied migrant children who will be staying at the San Diego Convention Center through July.”
The spokesperson added, “All children in California, regardless of immigration status, have a constitutional right to education. We also have a moral obligation to ensure a bright future for our children.”
The district statement also notes the use of COVID-19 screening protocols in cooperation with government officials.
