The Ottawa-Carleton District School Committee (OCDSB) said 14 classes closed on Tuesday, and supporters say at least some are caused by the sixth wave of COVID-19. Susan Gardner, local president of the Ontario Primary School Teachers Association, said she had heard that some schools had more than a dozen absentees, resulting in “a small quarrel finding people to cover.” “There is a big problem, and so they had to be really creative either in combining lessons or having students all together in one place,” he said. Gardner acknowledged the concerns about ventilation, but hopes it will improve with the coming warm weather.
Occasional teachers “walk in the blind”
The occasional teachers’ association described the current situation in schools as “chaotic” due to staff shortages, which extends to those who are usually required to fill in when full-time teachers are absent. “We have a shortage of occasional teachers for a variety of reasons and unfortunately unskilled people are entering the classrooms,” said Pat Dixon, head of the local elementary school teachers’ association. “We have screens for lunch that go into the classrooms, we have [educational assistants] they go to the classrooms to teach, not to do their normal job. “ Occasionally teachers also remain reluctant to go to classes and further aggravate the shortage, he said, because “school is not a safe place for them.” He said that the lack of reporting, monitoring and follow-up of COVID-19 cases along with the absence of masks in schools means that teachers occasionally “walk blindly in situations”. CLOCKS Call for reinstatement of masks in schools:
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In addition to the spread of COVID-19, which keeps staff away from work and students away from school, increased stress levels are persistent in schools, Gardner said.
“Stability and predictability are the most important things, and these are the things people need. These are the things that have been taken away from teachers and students,” Gardner said.
Kristy Simons is a parent of two school-age children and the administrator of a Facebook page that monitors the situation in the classroom. He said the current monitoring system for COVID-19 continues to fail parents.
“I actually get more information from the Facebook page… before I hear anything from the school. The school is usually the last place I get information from,” he said.
Any attempt to keep courses open: OCDSB
The OCDSB said it did not have specific details as to why staff could be absent, but wrote in a statement that it could be due to “personal illness, caring for a sick household member or various other reasons”. The council says the community was informed earlier this year that schools may be affected by staff shortages. “We will make every effort to keep classes open, but if we can not operate safely, a classroom may need to be asynchronous until we can arrange adequate coverage,” OCDSB said. “If that happens, we will make every effort to counsel parents overnight. We encourage parents to implement emergency plans and monitor their emails for updates from their school.” Before considering a temporary closure, the OCDSB said it first ensures that the classroom teacher is able to support students remotely before deciding whether it is better to relocate a teacher or teaching assistant or move a classroom instead of canceling the class. The board added that it continues to hire occasional and occasional staff to increase the supply of available replacements.
