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Local teachers split on a return to school before summer, union president says

Teachers giving possible June return to in-person learning ‘very mixed reviews’
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The idea of school children possibly being sent back to in-person learning for the last few weeks of the school year is getting “very mixed reviews” among teachers, said a local union official.

The idea of school children possibly being sent back to in-person learning for the last few weeks of the school year is getting “very mixed reviews” among teachers, said a local union official.

“I’ve got to tell you there’s just as many teachers that think returning to school is good and just as many teachers that think returning to school should happen in September,” said Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Rainbow local president Liana Holm.

She said she’s sure parents would like to see the kids return to classrooms “so they can return to some kind of normalcy, because they’re teaching them at home, right?

“Anybody can imagine how difficult that is for them.”

Premier Doug Ford said Monday that an announcement on whether schools will reopen to in-person learning in June will come “in the next day or two.”

On Saturday, the province’s COVID-19 science table recommended schools be reopened on a regional basis as the benefits of keeping children home are now being outstripped by the physical and psychological impacts of keeping them home.

Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Public Health Sudbury & Districts medical officer of health, also revealed Monday she is in favour of schools reopening to in-person learning in this region.

She said the region is in a much different position than it was on March 15, when she closed schools in the area due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

“Our area is in a vastly different situation now with COVID-19 seven-day case incidence rates of under 10 per 100,000, public health system and hospital capacity much improved, and a vaccination rate that is on track with provincial goals,” Sutcliffe wrote.

Holm said the ETFO’s position on returning to in-person learning is “that we should only do so if it’s safe.” That determination is made by the public health unit, she said.

“It’s not for me to agree or disagree,” she said. “That’s not my place. My place is to support teachers as the president of the union in whatever decision is made by public health officials who are tasked with that decision.”

As for whether there’s any point in sending kids back to in-person school for just a few weeks, Holm said there’s two schools of thought on that topic.

“One school of thought is it would be good for kids to come back together with their teachers and their classmates, even for the last few weeks of school,” she said.

“They can reconnect socially and emotionally — that would be for a social-emotional benefit. Academically, I would say the last few weeks of school there probably wouldn’t be a lot of benefit to a return to school.”

Eric Laberge, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) District 3 Rainbow, echoed Holm’s comments.

“The overwhelming sentiment from the medical experts and the scientific community is to reopen schools,” he said.

“That seems to be the message. The OSSTF’s position from provincial on down is fairly consistent going back several months. OSSTF welcomes schools to be reopened to in-person learning so long as it is safe to do so for both students and staff.”

He said if you compare the COVID-19 metrics locally to what they were when schools were closed on March 15, “clearly we’re in a much better position.

“Whether that in itself will prevent any further transmissions remains to be seen,” he said.

Asked if there’s any benefit to returning to in-person learning for just a few weeks “depends upon who you talk to.”

In the case of high school students, the Rainbow District School Board has cancelled high school exams this semester, meaning the board’s older students would be returning to in-person class for just two weeks.

But “let’s face it, lots of our members are tired of doing remote learning,” Laberge said.

“All of the education affiliates, including OSSTF, always believe that the best way to learn is pupils in schools in face-to-face learning environments.

“Any opportunity to go back to the classroom, even short lived, would be welcome as long as its safe to do so.”


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