Teachers’ union expresses safety concerns over Monday’s return to in-person classes in Ontario schools
In the wake of Premier Doug Ford's decision to reopen all 4,800 Ontario schools to in-person learning as of Monday, critics are pouncing.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, which represents 83,000 educators, complained Tuesday that its members learned, from reporters on social media, that the Ford government is moving ahead with a return to in-person learning on Jan. 17."
ETFO president Karen Brown said after witnessing the Ford government's repeated failure to slow the spread of COVID-19, we aren't surprised by last night's return-to-class announcement, if we can call it that."
We're left asking, once again, what has been done to ensure in-person learning can return safely and sustainably, and why isn't the Ford government consulting with ETFO or sharing its plans with us directly?" said Brown.
From the onset of the pandemic, we have indicated our interest in working together so we can keep students learning in person, safely and without disruption," she said.
As first reported by the Star, Ford, after consulting with public health officials, will allow all 2 million Ontario schoolchildren to resume classes in person after a fortnight of online virtual learning.
The premier said on Jan. 3 that the two-week circuit breaker - necessitated by the contagious Omicron variant - would be used to install 3,000 more HEPA filters to be installed and enabled thousands of teachers to get booster shots and allow more students to get vaccinated.
I know this isn't the news anyone wants to hear, but with the new variant, the ground is shifting every single day," the premier said last week.
These decisions will disappoint people, they will confuse some people and they will anger some people. I understand all those reactions. As premier, these are the hardest decisions I make, but we follow the data and the fact is this Omicron spreads like wildfire," he said.
Dr. Kieran Moore, the chief medical officer of health and an ardent proponent of keeping schools open, has endorsed next week's resumption of in-person classes.
Ford consulted with him before giving the green light.
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca warned that the Progressive Conservative government has done almost nothing to make classrooms safer" over the past weeks.
As the father of two daughters who attend publicly funded schools, I support in-person learning and would like schools to reopen," said Del Duca.
But that doesn't mean the work to make them safer is over. Let's get our kids back in classrooms, but Doug Ford also needs to get back to work and make sure closures never happen again," he said.
Ontario kids have missed more in-person classes over the 22-month pandemic than any jurisdiction in North America.
Del Duca urged Ford to add the COVID-19 shot to the list of required vaccinations for Ontario students in the Immunization of School Pupils Act.
Ford's office confirmed Monday night that as planned and previously announced, students will return to in-person learning" Jan. 17.
Virtual learning will continue to be available for those students who want it with each school board determining is need.
The original Jan. 3 return to school was at first delayed until Jan. 5 so N95 masks and additional HEPA air filter units could be distributed to schools.
However, that day, a grim-faced Ford said a tsunami" of COVID-19 cases would delay the resumption of online classes for at least" two weeks.
That sparked furor from parents, students, teachers, and employers.
Contacted by the Star on Monday night, Bronwen Alsop, a Toronto mother of two who has spearheaded an effort to keep schools open, said the emotional roller coaster of this last couple of weeks has just been so intense on so many families, our children."
We're falling apart," said Alsop.
Earlier Monday, the mayors of Ontario's biggest cities passed a unanimous motion demanding schools reopen next week, saying children's mental and physical health is paramount" and any further delay would only cause more anguish.
The motion at the Ontario's Big City Mayors (OBCM) meeting said civic leaders support calls from pediatric experts and parents to return to in-person classes.
It was moved by Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson and seconded by Brampton's Patrick Brown.
Brown said it's very clear that there are strong opinions from medical officers of health and pediatric specialists in the province that it's in the best interest of children to be learning with their peers."
The government initially considered only allowing high schools to reopen, given the almost 90 per cent vaccination rate among teens.
Fewer than half of children aged five to 11, who only became eligible for their vaccinations on Nov. 23, have had any shots.
But Moore felt the benefits to resuming in-person classes were significant given that all educational workers, including teachers, are being given N95 masks and have access to an expanded booster program with 10 clinics around the province.
A return to school had been urged by experts at Sick Kids and Ottawa's CHEO children's hospital, as well as business and community leaders in an open letter published Friday in the Star and other Torstar newspapers.
Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie
Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy