Region’s school boards reviewing Ontario’s back-to-school plan

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Local school boards say they are reviewing the back-to-school plan rolled out by the province.

Both the Grand Erie and Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic district school boards sent out messages to families indicating the Ministry of Education guidelines are being studied with the aim to ensure students could return to in-person learning safely in September.

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“The return of in-person learning is crucial for (students’) mental and physical health, overall well-being and the long-term academic success of our students,” said Education Minister Stephen Lecce.

On Aug. 4, Lecce said the province will provide an additional $25 million for the purchase of 20,000 standalone HEPA units to improve air quality where there are challenges with ventilation in schools.

“The additional funding announced today, combined with our past investment will ensure that all occupied learning environments, including classrooms and gyms, libraries, child care rooms, portables and other instructional spaces without mechanical ventilation, will now have a standalone HEPA filter placed within it when students return this fall,” he said.

The minister stated that such HEPA units would be placed in junior and senior kindergarten rooms, regardless of the presence of mechanical ventilation “for an added layer of protection so the youngest learners will not be required to wear a mask in the classroom.”

School boards will be expected to inspect all ventilation systems and regularize maintenance, use the highest-grade filters, change them more often, and operate air systems two hours before and two hours after the school day.

“To help make parents and students more confident, the government will help boards to highlight ventilation measures and improvements at the school level,” Lecce noted. “A standardized template will allow boards to share ventilation information publicly at the school level for every school in Ontario.”

Under the plan, high school students will be limited to two courses at a time, but physical education equipment, computers and kindergarten classroom toys will be able to be shared.

Children will be allowed to play with schoolmates from other cohorts during recess, and visitors such as parents and guest speakers will be allowed access to schools.

Vocal and instrumental music will go ahead in ventilated spaces indoors, though social distancing is to be maintained when playing wind instruments.

The government’s plan initially only permitted high contact sports to be played outdoors, but Ontario’s chief medical officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said basketball and hockey would be allowed indoors after all.

“We think the combination of screening, having rapid access to testing, high vaccination rates in our communities – all the basic protocols we want to have in place to keep our schools safe – that it is reasonable to be able to allow basketball and hockey to continue,” said Moore. “We would like to allow broad-base participation in those sports knowing we want to have as close to a return to normal as we can. It’s a risk reduction strategy. There’s never a complete risk elimination, but we think it’s prudent and reasonable.”

Lecce said the government has been clear that it will not mandate vaccine requirements for students and staff at this point, but encourages vaccination at a voluntary level.

Moore said he doesn’t expect any different approach whether a child is vaccinated or unvaccinated on any activities within a school setting.

“We would not be knowledgeable of their immune status, and there shouldn’t be any barriers or stigmatization of children who have not received the vaccine in any way in normal activities throughout the school year.”

Mike McDonald, director of education for the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, said significant investments to HVAC and air quality in schools were made prior to the pandemic, and government funding last year allowed for further upgrades at some schools.

“We have read the press release released today from the minister with regard to funding and expectations, but have yet to receive any specifics,” McDonald said. “Once we receive that information, we will move as quickly as possible to ensure that systems are in place for the benefit of all of our staff and students.”