Parents Told to Brace for Disruptions as Kids Head Back to Class next Week

Wednesday, 12 January 2022 05:52

Teacher Unions in Ontario are warning parents to brace for interruptions as kids get set to head back to class next week.

The ETFO, AEFO, OECTA, and OSSTF/FEESO have issued a joint statement regarding the government's decision to move forward with reopening schools next week.

They are demanding schools reopen safely and are calling for the following measures to be implemented immediately.

- Increase effective vaccination rates in our school communities by publicly promoting the importance of vaccination for students;
- Prioritize access to booster shots for ALL teachers and education workers across the province;
- Add COVID-19 to the list of designated diseases in Ontario Regulation 261/13 Designated Diseases under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA);
- Improve and maintain ventilation and install HEPA filters in ALL classrooms and public spaces in schools and campuses, with publicly available air quality metrics and standards;
- Reduce class sizes to promote physical distancing;
- Ensure the non-fit-tested N95 mask orders by school boards are filled and delivered immediately;
- Provide the best possible masks to all students, with improved guidelines to ensure masking compliance;
- Implement stricter screening and isolation requirements;
- Implement a more robust testing and contact tracing regime, which includes providing all education staff with regular access to rapid antigen tests and prioritizing PCR test accessibility for both education workers and - - Ontario’s students should they register a positive result on their rapid tests; implement a sustainable plan to address an anticipated increase in staff absences due to COVID-related illness and/or isolation;
- Reinstitute the requirement for schools to report and notify families of COVID-19 exposures in their child’s classroom and school; and
- Reconsider the short-sighted decision to decrease the isolation period from 10 to five days, as doing so unnecessarily risks reintroducing the virus into school settings.

The union states they want to see kids back in class and share the view that is the best for them, however they feel the Ford Government has failed to provide the adequate measures to ensure this can be done safely.

ETFO President Karen Brown says the Ford Government made this decision to send kids back without consulting teachers.

"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? 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."

Parents are being told to brace for disruptions as staff shortages could lead to classes, even schools shutting down on a case by case basis.