Quebec parents, educators brace for return to classroom Monday after extended winter break
CBC
Montreal resident Ritika Malini says her seven-year-old son is enjoying online school, but he's been missing out by not being in the classroom.
"He's learning, yes, but he's not getting an experience — he's not experiencing learning," she said. "If he goes out, there's more exposure."
Primary and high school students will back in class on Jan. 17, CBC News has confirmed. That's less than a week away. The government's detailed plan to reopen schools is expected to be revealed Thursday.
The head of the Montreal teachers' association, Lori Newton, said more safety measures are needed before schools reopen. For example, she said, teachers should be prioritized for PCR tests, as health-care workers are.
"What we would like to see is that any school personnel that would like to have an N95 mask, be able to get that," Newton said.
"We need to see that teachers can get access to rapid testing kits like the elementary and preschool students can have."
Sabrina Jafralie, a teacher at Westmount High School, said she's concerned about returning to the classroom, given the epidemiological situation.
She's worried teachers and students could catch the virus and put further pressure on the health-care system.
She said while online learning can be an effective means of educating students, not enough has been done to upgrade upgrading the available online learning resources.
When classes do resume in person, Jafralie said she plans to wear an N95 mask.
Daniel Gauthier, the head of the Syndicat de l'enseignement de la région de Québec, which represents teachers in the Quebec City area, is among those worried that no new protective measures have been announced to prevent outbreaks.
"When we reopen without increasing the measures, we close for longer a few weeks later," he said. "We have to make different choices."
Like many others, Gauthier is concerned about the lack of ventilation in classrooms and cafeterias. Even if students wear a mask in class, they are allowed to remove their masks to dine together, he said.
"There are obvious risks of spread and there is no change in current procedures," Gauthier said.
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