UnpublishedTV: COVID-19 and Returning to School

PUBLISHED: 20/07/2020

Answers are few and far between for school boards getting ready to welcome students back in September. The Ontario Government has said it would announce more details this week to give boards the time to implement their plan. 72 of Ontario’s school boards are preparing plans for three possible scenarios — a full-time return to in-person learning, virtual classes for all, or a hybrid model that combines the two.

This will not be any routine return in September as distancing, hand washing, sanitzer will all be part of the “new” normal. Working in their favour is the fact that children have been less infected by the virus compared to other age groups. Many paediatric experts feel that it is crucial for young people to get back to school but doing it safely.

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GUESTS:

Joel Westheimer - University Research Chair in Democracy and Education at uOttawa

Marit Stiles - NDP MPP Davenport - Opposition Education critic

Liz Stuart - VP at Canadian Teachers Federation

Laura Gonzalez - 2nd Executive VP at OFHSA

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REFERENCES:

https://globalnews.ca/news/7210551/ontario-schools-funding-government-plan-coronavirus/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/23/health/cdc-coronavirus-school-guidelines-new/index.html

https://www.sickkids.ca/PDFs/About-SickKids/81407-COVID19-Recommendations-for-School-Reopening-SickKids.pdf

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-19-coronavirus-schools-reopen-1.5661252

https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-and-school-kids-there-will-be-transmission-experts-say-but-how-sick-will-they-get?fbclid=IwAR0ZeFhiidWfO5Uk0sKSNm7v3tb-uWgBAwL_4K84eIlMUnzaG_wsd7DG3f0

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ontario-liberals-call-for-1-000-new-classrooms-1-000-additional-educators-to-help-ottawa-students-return-to-class-1.5040187?fbclid=IwAR1Q0s9wwA1YzBh3l6c76tSFj_pK-rTC5q1KeecGLaLNtNaZAuGvIms_j3M

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-ndp-calls-on-province-to-boost-funding-for-school-reopening-1.5038206

https://www.tvo.org/article/back-to-school-part-3-a-union-president-on-reopening-safely

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ontario-schools-should-reopen-without-masks-strict-physical-distancing-says-expert-report

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-alberta-outlines-plan-for-return-to-school-this-fall/

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/live-at-3-p-m-province-to-detail-plan-for-school-classes-to-resume

https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/public-board-gets-parental-feedback-in-school-reopening-plans

https://www.ctf-fce.ca/need-a-plan-to-reopen-schools-ask-the-teachers/

https://www.ctf-fce.ca/all-is-not-well-in-education/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-school-return-class-september-coronavirus-1.5649529