Ontario’s schools could look a lot different when COVID-19 shutdown ends

Students could attend classes on alternate days or for half-days or the school year could extend into the summer - or maybe start up before the fall in the case of another surge in COVID-19 that prompts another shutdown.

They will likely be washing their hands frequently throughout the day, sitting at desks spaced two metres apart and limited to playing with a friend or two when they are outside.

Maybe they wear masks - or have their temperatures taken before they are allowed inside.

These are some of the options that provinces and U.S. states are considering as they look at whether to reopen schools as the COVID-19 curves flatten, and take cues from countries that have already started to slowly ease back on restrictions.

"We need to start talking about post-pandemic now and not wait" until we are there, said Laura Walton, who heads the Ontario school board bargaining unit of the Canadian Union of Public Employees which represents 55,000 support workers including caretakers.

"We have internally started talking about what needs to happen," she added. "I see it in phases. But before schools can open, we need to get people back in and cleaning."

On Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford said he was not ready to give up on reopening schools before the end of June - depending on the advice of the medical officer of health - but that no decisions had been made.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce is expected to make an announcement in the coming days.

On Thursday, Barbara Yaffe, the associate medical officer of health, said when school does restart, there could be screening of students and staff for illness, and those who are sick will not be allowed in class.

Around the world, some jurisdictions are resuming classes. British Columbia has said it could do so before the end of the school year.

In the U.S., a coalition of 16 states, most of them in the South, has created its own education recovery task force to consider what schools could look like once they can safely reopen their doors.

In particular, it is concerned with how to get all students up to speed while also dealing with mental-health concerns in the wake of the pandemic.

There, leaders are looking at half-days or alternate days, having more schools on a year-round model, adding an hour to the school day or starting up early in the fall to accommodate any coronavirus surges that hit.

Some have suggested that elementary teachers keep the same students this fall to give them a level of comfort and support when returning to school after an extended - and stressful - time off. And they plan to devote a lot of time to finding out where learning gaps are so teachers can address those first.

Walton said as a start, the Ontario government will have to provide extra funding for cleaning - she said successive provincial governments have cut back on custodial staffing and cleanliness standards - given that buildings will need to be disinfected constantly.

She said more supports will be needed for students who have been out of school for some time - six months if classes resume in September.

"Not every child has the same level of support at home," she said. "Are we prepared for that?"

CUPE has asked the government to make a decision soon on when - or whether - classes will be recalled.

"We definitely need to look at how this is going to work," Walton said. "Is it a staggered start?"

And once parents return to work, they will need child care, she noted.

Staff who have underlying health conditions or family members who do will also need to be given special consideration, she added.

In Denmark, students up to Grade 5 returned first, with desks set far apart, regular handwashing and with groups of only two allowed during outside play. In Taiwan, students undergo temperature checks and there are dividers between desks.

Charles Pascal, a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, said the "new normal" must extend beyond the practical including looking at "a whole student approach that recognizes and supports students of varying backgrounds/conditions and diverse identities."

Pascal says the pandemic measures have shown "how important genuine collaborations with parents and guardians are" which must be better incorporated into school life.

However, he said, the government's current strategy of announcing the extension of school closings every few weeks is "very stressful for everybody" when it is very likely they won't reopen until the fall.

"I know there are some parents who would like to have hope that the kids will be out of their hair and also in school - but false hope is worse than hope."

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy