The government's faulty assumptions
Re: “Back-to-school plan worries teachers, parents” (Montreal Gazette, Jan. 8)
So Premier François Legault has committed to safeguarding education as one of his priorities during the pandemic. His concerns appear to stem from two assumptions: that a disruption of formal education and in-class instruction will cause students to lag behind academically, even post-pandemic, and that students limited to virtual learning might suffer from psychological side effects as a result of social isolation.
And yet, consider the children who lived through the Holocaust or Bosnian War. Those who survived often had endured many years living in dismal conditions, often in isolation and without any opportunity to get an education. Yet many went on to pursue higher education, lead productive lives and build successful careers.
As regards a return to the classroom, if the government wants schools to successfully reopen — and stay open — it must provide the requisite tools and equipment to create a healthy, sustainable learning environment: that is, introduce measures to test, enhance and continuously monitor air quality; ensure adequate supplies of masks and other personal protective equipment for students, teachers and staff; reduce class sizes to a manageable level given the COVID constraints; and make teachers a top priority for receiving vaccinations.
Even so, with the infection rate as high as it has been in the past several weeks, schools arguably should remain closed and classes held online. This would entail another critical undertaking: providing teachers with an abundance of tools and resources for effective virtual learning on a broad scale, something the government has failed to do.
Prioritizing education is a welcome commitment, but only if it can be done properly and sustainably.
I believe that, with proper policies and direction, we can both save lives and ensure the educational prospects for Quebec students going forward.
Judith Levine, retired secondary school teacher, Westmount