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home / 世界杯决赛2022

disappointed by school plan, parents mull keeping kids home

a distance learning centre that normally fields 15 to 20 calls a day says it got 600 inquiries the day the province released its safe schools plan.

by zak vescera, saskatoon starphoenix

aug 6 2020
read time 3 minute read
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some saskatchewan parents say their kids won’t return to class next month unless the government makes sweeping changes to  its back-to-school pandemic plans.

alec couros, an education professor at the university of regina , said he plans to either homeschool or arrange distance education for his four children because he’s not convinced the province’s safe schools plan will live up to its name.

“at this point, unless there are changes to the plan, i’m not sending my kids back to school,” couros said.
unlike plans proposed by the alberta and ontario governments, saskatchewan’s strategy doesn’t mandate masks — a precaution endorsed by federal chief public health officer dr. theresa tam for children aged 10 and older to prevent the spread of covid-19.
it also doesn’t provide funding for smaller class sizes, meaning six feet of distance between students may not be a reality.

aside from the full-time job of parenting, couros is also a researcher with a keen interest in how children in classrooms might act as vectors for the virus. in provinces like alberta, he notes , officials have required masks. in others, like ontario, some students will “alternate” days at home to free up space.

saskatchewan gets a failing grade in comparison, he argued.

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education minister gord wyant said the plan aims to make school “as normal as possible,” with the option to implement mandatory masks and other controls on the advice of chief medical health officer dr. saqib shahab. on wednesday, a day after the plan was released, the ministry of education also released each school division’s individual plan, some of which include recommendations for mask use.
some parents say the announcement didn’t alleviate their concerns. kath stevenson’s six-year-old son hugo is immunocompromised, and she worries the plan doesn’t carry enough financial muscle to ensure his safety.
“when it comes to kids at risk and teachers at risk, i see a very vague statement about needing to create a solution, but i don’t see what that could be without additional funding,” stevenson said.
“instead of starting with a slow re-entry and seeing how it goes, we’re going all the way there right away.”
ministry of education spokeswoman carly rathwell wrote that the government will highlight “generalized information” in days to come so students and parents know what to expect.
“as the situation with covid-19 in saskatchewan is fluid, school division plans may be updated and adjusted as needed, as accounted for within the four levels of the saskatchewan safe schools plan,” she wrote. 
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barring a change in the government’s plans, many parents said they’re either planning to homeschool their children or arrange for distance education.
sun west distance learning centre superintendent darren gasper said his organization received roughly 600 inquiries about online learning options on the day the safe schools plan was announced, compared to an average of 15 to 20 a day.
last year, sun west’s enrolment was 1,100 students. gasper said the centre, which arranges online education for k-12 students in “every corner of the province,” now has more than 200 kids on the waiting list and is considering hiring more staff.
saskatchewan home based educators director rod amberson said members of his organization are being “bombarded” with questions about homeschooling.
“i think when the children were sent home in the spring, it gave a lot of parents a chance to imagine what home-based education would look like for their children, and i think that’s why we’re seeing so much interest just now,” amberson said.
dr. mary kinloch, a physician working in saskatoon, said she is even considering hiring a teacher for her children and others from four other households so she can maintain a small “bubble” of people and contacts. she said she may also help fundraise to support her school’s infection control measures.
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“i have full faith that the teachers at my children’s schools would make that happen because they are amazing,” kinloch said. “i feel like if they were given just a little support, they could make that happen.”
couros said he doesn’t want to keep his kids home. the youngest, in grade 1, is missing out on important social interaction while the eldest, in grade 11, is missing out on “the best and worst times” of high school.
he and kinloch said they worry most about other parents and students who feel uncomfortable about going back to class but don’t have the flexible hours or income to afford alternatives.
kinloch said school will inevitably bring more risk, but preventative measures will mean fewer cases, fewer outbreaks, and peace of mind for kids and parents.
“i’m pretty sure the honeymoon period of them playing throughout the pandemic is over. they need to go back to school.”
zvescera@postmedia.com
twitter.com/zakvescera

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