Smaller classes won’t guarantee added safety
Ontario’s plan for school return is realistic and safe
Ontario’s four teaching unions say the government’s plan to reopen schools without dramatically reducing the number of students in elementary classes is “jeopardizing the safety of students, educators and all Ontarians.” Tens of thousands of parents have signed a petition calling for smaller class sizes to protect their children. More money has to be spent, unions and parents say.
How realistic are their concerns and is money the solution?
The main criticism of the PC plan is that classrooms are too crowded to allow the desirable two metres of physical distancing, which is frequently cited as the key recommendation of the panel of pediatric experts led by Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. That’s a report Premier Doug Ford points to when he says his plan relies on expert medical and scientific advice.
It seems a compelling argument, until one reads the Sickkids’ report. The doctors’ advice is a lot more nuanced. The report states, “It is recognized that a one- metre separation also provides protection and may approach the benefits of two metres in the school setting.” It further notes that “It is likely not practical to enforce strict physical distancing in elementary schoolchildren.”
The doctors say masks are helpful where physical distancing can’t be maintained and that cohorting, or keeping small groups of children together, is also an effective strategy. Ontario’s plan calls for both masks and cohorting. It’s certainly not fair to say that the government is disregarding the experts’ advice or skimping on safety.
The doctors add that, “Several jurisdictions have reopened schools with maximum class sizes ranging from 10 to 15. However, there is limited evidence on which to base a pre-specified class size.”
Reducing elementary- school classes to 15 would entail a huge and costly logistical challenge to add a perceived additional level of safety that no other province is prescribing.
The Toronto District School Board has taken a look at the cost and feasibility of 15- student elementary classes. Even if every central and specialized teacher became a regular classroom teacher, the board would require nearly 2,500 additional teachers at a cost of about $250 million. It is still assessing whether there is room to squeeze all those new classes into its buildings.
The TDSB has a little more than 10 per cent of the province’s elementary students. It would be safe to assume that the cost of smaller classes provincewide would exceed $ 2 billion, and imagine the chaos of 72 school boards trying to hire 25,000 new teachers over the next four weeks.
Even if the teachers could be found, space would certainly be an issue in most schools.
The Liberal Party solution is to use community centres, government office buildings and convention halls. That would open up a whole new world of cleaning, equipment and transportation problems.
While Ford is being described as too cheap to keep your kids safe, it’s worth noting that Ontario is spending more per student on COVID-19 safety than any other province. Its $ 309- million plan includes more money for teachers, custodians, bus cleaning and student mental health. This is not business as usual. By adding smaller elementary classes to the list, the government would be spending seven times more money on a single safety measure of unknown benefit.
It’s easy to call for physical distancing in schools, but how practical is it? Adults have a tough time maintaining physical distance. It can’t be the key protector for young children.
Those who want smaller classes might well get most of what they want anyway. It is up to parents to decide if they want to send their children back to school and teachers can opt out of in-class teaching if they feel unsafe.
It’s estimated that between 10 and 20 per cent of students and teachers won’t show up for school. That will reduce class size. Teachers who feel unsafe in the classroom will be expected to lead online learning for students whose parents choose to keep them home.
It’s important for parents and educators not to lose sight of the big picture. Opening schools has risks, but it also has benefits. The pediatricians’ report is clear that returning to full-time schooling is critical to children’s mental health and intellectual development. Everyone wants to accomplish the goal safely, but no one can guarantee that result.
It will be a miracle if Ontario gets through the school year without any teachers or children getting sick, no matter what approach is taken.
That’s the reality in the midst of a pandemic, but the Ontario plan represents the safest, most realistic approach possible within the limits of physical space and human resources.