Written by Senaya Kiruwanagamage
With the continuous and erratic movement of the pandemic throughout the last year, Ontario public schools continue to move into unchartered waters. The transition to online learning has not been easy for students nor teachers. With the introduction of alternating cohort groups–which quickly transitioned into Google Meets, jamboards, and breakout rooms–students missed out on socializing and interacting in the unfavourable world of online learning. They were left to navigate online learning for themselves, where connections and bonds would cease to exist as they pressed "leave meeting".
But with steady vaccination rates and COVID-19 cases starting to slowly decline in Ontario, the provincial government has determined a more definite plan for the upcoming school year. This is excellent news to students who all want a semblance of normal at school. The 26-paged plan outlines all of the mandatory guidelines and measures that need to be implemented for the upcoming school year.
According to the plan, all pupils will be able to go back to classrooms full-time this September. Students will be able to attend all five days in person, instead of the split week with cohorts from last year’s method. The day will consist of five hours of instructional time for secondary students. For elementary school-aged kids, classes will continue as one cohort and open areas can be used for non-cohort interaction with social distancing. For precautionary measures, school boards have been instructed to have only two courses in a semester in case restrictive measures are mandated for secondary schools. Some school boards will rotate four subjects over two weeks to limit movement within the school. With each school building, there will be strict entrance and exit plans to minimize contact, as well as signs and taped areas to help enforce guidelines. In addition, virtual schooling will be available for families.
Clubs and sports have always been a popular staple of student life. But last year, sports teams were an afterthought, and clubs were forced to take on a hiatus or settle for online meetings during the pandemic. Fortunately, with the new plan, clubs will return to in-person meetings during school hours. There will be masking rules in place which are dependent on the area and the distance between students. This also comes with the return of field trips, assemblies, and music programs.
The same procedures implemented last year will be enforced this year, including wearing non-medical masks and daily self-screening to gain entry to buildings. Staff will continue to wear personal protective equipment and social distancing measures will be enforced when possible. Frequent disinfecting of high-touched surfaces will also continue to be practiced. As for changes, the government has now required schools to introduce handwashing and respiratory etiquette for students. Schools will now also have to prioritize air quality within the schools to reach optimum fresh air intake.
Of course, it is impossible to foresee the status of the pandemic in the future. Due to this, schools need to be prepared for a transition to online learning again. There are concerns over the potential fourth wave rumoured to take place in September. The new Delta variant has also heightened concern for unvaccinated students, and since little information is known about it, school boards are still hesitant about the plan's efficacy.
With the plan attempting to give students, teachers, and staff a source of normalcy for their school year, one can only imagine how different it will be. But with sports teams and clubs, field trips, and more opportunities for socialization opening up for students, this plan has the potential to define a whole new way of going to school in the pandemic era. While the plan does not grant students pre-pandemic regularity and comfort, it gives us back tidbits of our favourite parts of school.
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