Canadian students struggle as Omicron variant disrupts school year
Global News
The wildfire spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 forced schools to revert to strict safety measures, and in some regions, temporarily shut down classrooms.
With classes back in full swing last fall, some Canadian students said it seemed like they were finally settling into a school routine after more than a year and a half of intermittent learning interruptions.
Some kids felt like they were getting into a groove of seeing their friends, classmates and teachers within the constraints of COVID-19 school codes mandating masking and social distancing.
But this sense of relative normalcy only lasted a few months before the wildfire spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 forced schools to revert to strict safety measures, and in some regions, temporarily shut down classrooms.
The Canadian Press is periodically checking in with students about how COVID-19 is shaping their school year. Here’s what they had to say about the latest round of disruptions.
When Tecumseh Hotomani returned to school earlier this month, it felt like the Grade 5 student was going back in time.
The Manitoba government announced it was introducing a phased-in approach when classes resumed Jan. 10 to allow schools to better prepare for in-person learning amid record-breaking COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations driven by the Omicron variant.
Much to the joy of some students, Tecumseh included, the province decided the shift to remote-learning would only last a week.
“I don’t like (online learning). I am fine with a week but not two months,” he said on his second day back at school.
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