Written by Brian Li
At the start of 2020, the world looked on as the World Health Organization announced that a novel coronavirus was spreading in China. Fast-forward to the middle of March and COVID-19 had already spread to multiple countries, including Canada. Lockdown procedures were put into place and along with social distancing measures came distance learning for students of all ages. Schools and campuses across Canada were forced to close down their facilities to stop the rapid increase of cases within their respective communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has required changes from schools and universities across the country to adapt to a new way of learning this past school year and come up with a new solution this upcoming school year.
Effect on Elementary/Secondary Schools:
When COVID-19 cases were beginning to break out in March, publicly funded K-12 schools decided to close in many provinces. Provinces like Alberta and Ontario were not afraid to suspend learning for two weeks after March break as they planned for the rest of the year. Many provinces and territories chose to suspend learning indefinitely like British Columbia and Manitoba. Even Saskatchewan opted to end the school year in May and students kept their marks as they were (Djuric). Soon, an e-learning plan was devised and accepted to be the solution for many school boards across the country that wanted to continue the 2019-2020 school year. However, it was reported that some students were struggling with online learning as they felt “bored and unmotivated”. There was no optimism for schools to reopen until September as many believed that there was too much risk in opening schools for students.
Skip to September, and schools across the country have begun their school year with their province’s specific reopening plans. The most populated provinces all have created a cohort system where students in 2-3 different groups follow alternating schedules, where one group would go to school on one day while the other does online learning, before they switch (“Tracking Canada's education systems”). They have also provided an option for families to choose full time online learning for their children’s safety. Class sizes are reduced and a 1-2 metre distance must be maintained by the students (“Tracking Canada's education systems”). Masks are mandatory for the most part for grades 4-12 while only being optional for the lower grades (“Tracking Canada's education systems”). For the less populated territories, strict physical distancing measures have been put into place to reduce the spread of the virus while also reducing class sizes (“Tracking Canada's education systems”). Strong measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of children that want to head back to school for face-to-face learning. However, only time will tell how effective these school reopening methods have been and how safe students will be amidst the still ongoing pandemic.
Effect on Post-Secondary Campuses:
Universities and colleges in Canada also faced the same challenges as other schools when the outbreak happened in March. Many post-secondary institutions instantly transitioned to online classes for the remainder of the semester after spring break to avoid face-to-face contact (UA/AU). All non-academic activities were suspended as well. While many students went home for the spring break, many also stayed since they had nowhere else to go (eg. international and out-of-province students) (UA/AU). The institutions also insisted that those who would be able to should move out of on-campus residences, which left the campuses quite empty. The price of residences for most universities was reduced for students, and with almost all of the residences not being filled on the campuses, many schools offered a place to stay for those in need (UA/AU). Labs were also used by students and other professionals as a way to conduct research on and help develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
Heading into the 2020-2021 education year for post-secondary students, many institutions continue to have online classes for the fall semester with optimism of reopening in the later parts of the year. Some institutions have opted to reopen their campuses in the fall semester and are offering some in-person classes, however, many classes are still happening online. Protocols such as mask-wearing, not accepting cash on campus, and cancellation of sport activities have been implemented in universities and colleges across the country (UA/AU). Post-secondary institutions across the country will continue to monitor the increase in cases on their respective campuses to make decisions based on the health of students while providing the education they have paid for.
Works Cited
Djuric, Mickey. “It's Official: Saskatchewan Schools Are Closed through September Due to Coronavirus.” Global News, Global News, 8 May 2020, globalnews.ca/news/6916861/sask-schools-closed-coronavirus/.
“Tracking Canada's Education Systems' Response to COVID-19.” People for Education, People for Education, 4 Sept. 2020, peopleforeducation.ca/our-work/tracking-canadas-education-systems-response-to-covid-19/.
UA/AU. “COVID-19: Updates for Canada's Universities.” University Affairs, 18 Sept. 2020, www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/covid-19-updates-for-canadas-universities/.
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