Video conferencing worries unions
Teachers have concerns about security, privacy during live online lessons
Teachers unions say they are worried about hacking, equity and a lack of privacy when it comes to the real-time, online learning the education minister is urging.
Last week, Stephen Lecce — as well as the Toronto District School Board, among others — told schools he expects teachers to use live video conferencing or “synchronous” learning with students, who are at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some parents have complained the use of video conferencing is inconsistent and it would help better engage and connect students and teachers during the extended school shutdown.
Schools are closed until the end of May. Premier Doug Ford said Monday it will be announced early next week whether schools will reopen before the end of June.
Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, said there is a “risk to staff and students” with live learning, which some teachers are already using to deliver curriculum or check in with students.
“We have heard of problems that have arisen when students engage in inappropriate behaviour and when online sessions have been hacked,” he told the Star.
As well, there is a “lack of privacy for both students and staff — not everyone is able to have a suitable and safe space to work or to separate their current work space from their home life.”
Unions are also concerned that some students, because of personal or family circumstances, may not be able to take part in a lesson scheduled for a particular day and time each week.
“We don’t have consistent internet access,” and families may be sharing devices or parents may have their own work meetings scheduled at the same time, added Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.
Teachers themselves may be juggling the care of children at home with their work duties.
“It makes it hard and it has so much to do with circumstances,” Abraham said. “It’s not easy to say, ‘This is the problem. Fix it.’ We need to be careful not to brush aside how unique and how unprecedented this situation is. I believe teachers are trying really hard and families are trying really hard.”
NDP education critic Marit Stiles agreed, saying, “Teachers are coming up with innovative ways to support kids’ learning and the difficult social impacts of isolation. Parents are managing the incredibly difficult challenge of parenting, supporting learning and working from home, all at the same time, often while dealing with additional anxiety and other pressures.”
In a memo to school boards sent last Friday, Lecce and Deputy Education Minister Nancy Naylor said that “while the expectation of the ministry was that educators would embrace the use of synchronous (realtime) learning during the school closure period, there has been an inconsistent uptake of this mode of learning.
“The ministry’s expectation is that synchronous learning be used as part of whole class instruction, in smaller groups of students and/or in a one-onone context.”
The Toronto District School Board will vote Tuesday on a motion to start discussions with employee groups to ensure more “interactive” learning.
Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin made the proposal after hearing from a number of parents about the inconsistent use of live, virtual instruction. The board’s own parent comment website is full of postings asking for “more direct contact and instruction” to motivate students.