Teachers give back-to-school plan a failing grade

Local elementary school teacher representatives say that the provincial government needs to take additional steps to protect everyone’s health if schools are to reopen safely in September. 

“Teachers want to be back in school,” says Sylvia van Campen, President of the Upper Canada Occasional Teacher Local with the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO.) “We want to be back with our students; we just want to do it safely. For us, that means ensuring the funding is in place.”
Last month, the Ontario government announced more than $300 million to help  schools implement COVID-19 pandemic safety protocols. The money will provide up to 500 public health nurses, masks and other personal protective equipment, additional school custodians and enhanced cleaning supplies, and mental health support. 

Ms. Van Campen says that the province has got off to a good start but it’s still not enough. One of her bones of contention is that the province is making it mandatory for students in Grades 4-12 to wear masks, but has made mask use optional for children in Kindergarten to Grade 3.
 

“Those kids are active and they’re not as experienced at self regulation and physical distancing,” she says. “Those kids should have masks as well.” 

Although she acknowledges that getting younger pupils to keep the masks on would be a learning curve, she insists that youngsters are resilient and they will learn. 

Ms. van Campen says that the ETFO is also asking for smaller class sizes, more frequent cleaning and disinfecting, and additional mental health support. She also points out that there will be more issues because the schools were closed down in March. 

“Some students who need extra support will have these inequities magnified,” she says. “When we are back in the fall, we will find greater gaps and we will need more help to fund these students.” 

She also points out that the government’s proclamation that one-metre distance between elementary students is adequate. “Everywhere else is two metres,” she says. 

The latter point was echoed by Ms. van Campen’s colleague, Erin Blair, President of the Upper Canada Teachers Local. 

“The science recommends two metres distancing and that’s what’s expected,” he says. “It’s odd that it’s not the same in schools.” 

He observes that, perhaps, the government might have been concerned about the practicality of mandating a two-metre separation policy, but that it should have realized that enforcement is a school board responsibility. “Their role should have been to state their expectations,” he said. 

Mr. Blair echoes many of Ms. van Campen’s concerns, saying that the province’s re-opening plan is “problematic” and doesn’t go far enough, particularly for the younger students. 

“Twenty-seven or 28 kids is a lot of people in a small room,” he says. “They are still learning to control themselves and to self regulate.” 

He also points out that few, if any, elementary schools are air conditioned and that many of them rely on fans during the hotter months. This kind of air circulation could prove dangerous with a respiratory-based disease like COVID-19. 

Mr. Blair says he’s not above employing some rather unique measures to help deal with overcrowding in classrooms and to ensure that safety is maximized. While he notes that some schools are already over capacity, making smaller class sizes next to impossible, he also points out that some schools are well below capacity – Maxville Public, for example – and that maybe, in this strange era, it might be prudent to explore a wider student distribution policy. 

“As parents, we don’t think twice about making such sacrifices for our children,” he says. 

A broader perspective 

In fact, the ETFO issued a joint statement with other teachers associations – the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation – all decrying the Doug Ford government for an “underfunded return to school plan.” 

“This plan and the funding to support it falls far short of the $3 billion that has been estimated for a safe and healthy return to school,” AEFO President Rémi Sabourin said in the release. “More funds are needed for enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of schools, additional custodial staff, masks and personal protective equipment, health and safety training for staff and additional educators.” 

“Educators want to be back with their students, but want to do so safely,” said OECTA President Liz Stuart. “The Ford model does not provide for the safe physical distancing that is expected in the rest of the province, and that health experts around the world have recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It also does not provide the necessary additional resources to support distance learning for those families who elect to keep their children home, or to support students in schools who have unique learning needs. Ontario’s recovery depends on a safe return to school, and this plan does not provide it.” 

OSSTF President Harvey Bischof was even more vociferous. 

“This plan is an insult to every student, every parent and every educator in the province of Ontario,” he said. “The Ford government has had four months to come up with a serious strategy – four months to consult, to plan, and to allocate appropriate resources to ensure a safe return to school in September. It’s clear ... that they have squandered that time. In the midst of a global pandemic, Ontario deserves more than yet another half-baked scheme from Doug Ford and (Education Minister) Stephen Lecce.”