Parents face back-to-school angst
Details remain sketchy from the province as new data emerge about children’s risk
Though it’s still a distant line on the horizon, many parents are already starting to panic at the prospect of a new school year that will be like no other.
Perhaps it’s because the best thing to do for our children is no clearer now, with the return date barrelling down on us, than it was when online classes “let out” for the summer.
Quebec outlined its preliminary pandemic back-to-school plans in June, which already seems like a lifetime ago. Highlights include: that classes will once again be full-time and mandatory; primary pupils can mingle in pods of six, but must remain one metre away from children in other groups; students will have to remain two metres from their teachers at all times; high school students will have to stay 1.5 metres from each other; and each school will have to have a plan in place to shift to online courses in the case of a localized outbreak or generalized school closure.
But many details remain sketchy as the COVID-19 situation in Quebec — along with our understanding of a new and mysterious disease — continues to evolve.
Cases since mid-july have rebounded to around 150 a day. Quebec once again has the dubious distinction of being among the hotspots in Canada, though the situation is less dire than it was this spring. Sunday’s daily tally was 164. A growing share of the new cases have been contracted young people.
There have also been a handful of outbreaks at summer day camps, like one in Boucherville that infected 27 people directly, plus an additional 19 close contacts. What does it indicate for herding children together indoors in poorly ventilated classrooms if small groups gathering largely outdoors transmit it to each other so easily?
New research has also turned accepted wisdom (that younger children don’t get or spread coronavirus in great numbers) on its head. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics now suggests children under 5 may carry 10 to 100 times more COVID-19 in their upper respiratory tracts that older kids or adults.
It’s worth noting that Quebec daycares have been at full capacity since July 13 without any major problems. (Knock on wood.)
They have strict public health protocols in place, such as staggered drop-off times and dividing children into smaller groups that don’t interact. But daycares have many times fewer kids than schools.
Other jurisdictions are outlining their back-to-school plans while Quebec’s first draft grows stale. Ontario, for instance, will send elementary students back full-time without capping class sizes, but allow parents to opt for distance learning instead. High school will be part-time. And Ontario students will have to wear masks, starting in Grade 4.
New York City schoolchildren will only attend classes one to three days a week. They will have their temperatures checked at the door.
And some classes may be held in “community spaces” like recreation centres or parks, to avoid overcrowding.
Meanwhile Quebec families, teachers and students wait, wonder and worry.
The Central Parents Committee of the English Montreal School board held an online forum last week to address some of the anxiety that was (virtually) attended by an astounding 600 people. But it raised as many questions as it answered.
Some parents want classes to be optional again and are pushing for a return to remote learning. Some are seriously considering home-schooling or setting up learning co-ops with like-minded parents.
The rising angst is natural in these unprecedented times. But it’s also a symptom of the stunning lack of ingenuity and creativity in all this back-to-school planning. It’s still focused on cramming kids as efficiently as possible into indoor classrooms. And many Quebec schools are in a shoddy state of repair, especially in Montreal.
A New York Times article recently described how during tuberculosis epidemics of the early 20th century, cities set up open-air schools — in parks, on rooftops, even an abandoned ferry. Even during the winter, students were kept warm with blankets and hot stones, continuing to learn in the fresh air.
One thing we do know about COVID -19 is that outdoor transmission is rare. So why aren’t we looking at taking classes outside, into schoolyards, parks, sports stadiums and public squares? At least for the fall, this might assuage the fears of parents and teachers who are torn about their children’s return. And it might actually be good for kids, too.
Of course many schools in Montreal’s dense urban centre have limited outdoor space. But if we can find room for cycling corridors and bar terrasses on city streets, surely we can find some space for outdoor learning.
In Montreal, children haven’t been in a classroom since March — a long, difficult period of social deprivation for many. Still, whether the government fully appreciates it or not, a lot of parents are still facing the new school year with great trepidation.