Ailing teachers force some schools to 'corral' students in gyms, cafs

Classes in some New Brunswick schools have needed to be combined, with students having to be "corralled" into gyms and cafeterias.

In others, students have had to be moved to other classrooms just so they can be under the supervision of an adult for the day.

Those are some of the situations that have arisen in recent weeks as a result of a high rate of teachers calling in sick, says Connie Keating, president of the New Brunswick Teachers Association.

They're situations that she says should be cause for concern among parents about the quality of their children's education.

"There continues to be a real worry that we won't be able to safely keep schools staffed with enough teachers if people continue to be out ill and absent from school," said Keating.

"I know certainly we continue to worry about the state of education here in New Brunswick when principals don't have the authority to close classes or their schools for the day, and are left with no other choice than to gather large groups of students into gymnasiums, split up classes, send students to other classrooms so that they're supervised by other adults for the day.

"And furthermore, when schools are open under these constraints, this is not education, and quality learning isn't happening."

Data provided last month by two of the province's anglophone school districts showed a significant increase in the rate of teachers calling in sick a week after schools reopened after March break. That period, from March 21 to 25 also marked a full week after all COVID-19 protections were dropped on March 14.

The dropping of all protections, particularly mandatory masking, has been met with opposition from some parents, along with a group of pediatric doctors who wrote to the province asking that the measure be reintroduced in schools to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

CBC News has asked the province's four anglophone school districts for more recent teacher absence data.

In an email, Anglophone School District West spokesperson Jennifer Read said there were 967 sickness-related absences requiring a substitute teacher for the week of April 4 to 8.

"The district and schools have been working tirelessly to mitigate staff vacancies," Read said.

"As previously shared with you, we've had a contingency plan in place since the new year. Currently, we have 84 supply teachers and 70 casual educational assistants (EAs) assigned to schools until Wednesday, April 13. These placements are in addition to the traditional manner of securing supply teachers with our absence management system."

Stephanie Patterson, a spokesperson for Anglophone School District East, did not provide teacher absence data, but in an email said there are a few schools that are facing staffing challenges because of illness, including among teachers, education assistants and custodians.