It's been a 'mixed bag', but most Canadian schools have kept students in class
Mississauga, Ontario (CNN)For one of Canada's most densely populated communities, this Toronto suburb, locked down for weeks, was eerily quiet on a recent Friday morning. Except for the school buses.
Several
of those buses passed Romana Siddiqui's home as she hustled her
children out the door for school and handed out food and snacks for the
day.
As
stressful as the morning rush can be, many Canadian parents are
grateful for it. Through a dangerous second wave of the pandemic, Canada
has managed to keep most schools open, most of the time, even in its
hardest-hit Covid-19 hot spots.
"I'll
be honest, I still sometimes am nervous about it," says Siddiqui in an
interview with CNN outside her children's school, "But the quality of
their learning, it's by far better in class, you can't compare virtual
versus in class. So that learning was not happening really at home."
Romana Siddiqui
As
early as last spring, and bolstered by medical experts, Canadian
provinces and territories, who are responsible for education, tried to
hold to the too often ignored axiom; schools should be the last to
close, the first to reopen.
The
result has been an uneven patchwork with some jurisdictions offering
virtual options and in-person options, others imposing a hybrid model
for older students.
Siddiqui's 16-year-old son, Adam, the eldest of her 3 children, has had in-person learning this school year but is now virtual.
"For
next year, I just hope that we're back in-person," says Adam describing
a school experience that has been far from normal, whether in person or
online.
Less
than an hour's drive from Mississauga, Mark Witter is doing his rounds
during recess reminding kids to "stay in your zones."
But
except for the masks, even outside, the sights and sounds are
remarkably comforting, kids reveling in the winter sunshine and clearly
happy to be with friends at school.
Mark Witter
"I
was very excited to have them come back. It was different though. We
worked at building a lot of understanding with the students and the
families and just explaining what our new routines were, but also trying
to make sure that things were as typical as they could possibly be,"
said Witter, the principal at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary
School in Ontario's Halton region.
The
protocols adhere to guidelines set out by the provinces, school boards
and local public health officials. Students in this Georgetown, Ontario,
school are in cohorts for classes and recess, there is a detailed
Covid-19 screening procedure for educators, students and visitors, and
universal mask-wearing both inside and outside the school.
When
classrooms around the country were set for mass reopenings last
September, even Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, admitted it was
a difficult decision for his family.
"We
are looking at what the school's plans are. We're looking at class
sizes. We're looking at how the kids are feeling about wearing masks,"
said Trudeau when asked during a news conference last summer adding,
"Like so many parents, that's something that we are in very active
discussions on."
Trudeau
and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau did ultimately decide on
in-person learning for their 3 children who attend public schools in the
Ottawa area.
But
the reality of keeping everyone in school and keeping the virus out
proved challenging within weeks of the school reopening in September.
Witter
says 2 classrooms were sent home for two weeks of virtual learning and
seven positive cases were identified. But the school remained open.
From
British Columbia to Ontario and Quebec, Canada's top provincial doctors
have said that schools have not been a significant source of spread for
the virus and that outbreaks in educational settings reflect the level
of transmission in the wider community.
Witter
also credits students with helping to keep schools open as they learn
and adapt to the "science" that is now part of their daily curriculum.
"They
keep their masks on, they follow the instruction of their teachers,
they wash their hands. And so, it's been really an enjoyable thing to
see and just a heartwarming thing to see, that the students themselves
have committed to the public health measures as well," says Witter.
Almost
universally, government and educational leaders have lauded teachers
during this pandemic, many of whom have carried much of the burden for
making sure students are safe, happy and still learning.
Armed
with a face shield and mask and a seemingly unshakable spirit, Andrea
O'Donnell organizes and cleans her kindergarten class at St. Francis of
Assisi. She admits she herself was skeptical the safety protocols would
work well enough to keep schools open.
Andrea O'Donnell
"How
am I going to do this? How am I going keep those masks on all those
little 4 and 5-year-olds? How are they going to be able to physically
distance?" she says adding, "And then I thought, you know, we teach
these kids, you know, I'm competent, capable. Yes, we can do it. And
yes, we have done it."
O'Donnell
says her classroom, her school and her school board are "living proof"
that keeping kids learning in person can be done and she adds, there are
good reasons to try.
"Am
I worried about getting Covid? Yeah," she says, "I'd much rather be in
the classroom. You know, I was really happy when we were allowed to come
back. Just to see their faces again, it just, it just brings so much
more joy to be with them."
Canadian
unions representing educators across the country have been vocal about
demands for more PPE, smaller class sizes, more teachers and better
ventilation for schools.
While
the issues have been contentious, worst case scenarios of dangerous
Covid-19 outbreaks in schools have largely been avoided.
"It's
a mixed bag. I mean, there have been certainly occasional closures and
widespread closures. But you know, we absolutely agree with the
perspective that schools, it should be a high priority to keep schools
open," said Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School
Teachers' Federation.
This
collaborative approach to keeping schools open has been far from
perfect, but compromise has been its hallmark through two deadly waves
of the virus and lockdowns and closures.
"It's
been stressful, it's been emotional at times. We've had to just realize
that and let go of a lot of expectations," says Siddiqui.
No comments