Toronto: Ontario government is allowing school boards to make necessary adaptations, in consultation with their local public health unit. Adaptations could include smaller class sizes and leasing additional space, according to the provincial Education Ministry.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce yesterday announced that Ontario is building on its plan and taking additional steps to ensure a safe return to schools in September, based on the best medical advice available.
The Ontario government is providing more than half a billion dollars in support to school boards to ensure schools across the province will reopen safely in September and to protect students and staff. These supports will enable school boards to provide more physical distancing in classrooms and direct funding to utilize non-school community spaces, and will allow boards to make adjustments based on their local needs.
“We have demonstrated throughout this outbreak that we will deliver the strongest and safest plan in Canada for Ontario students, with a recognition that we will continuously strengthen it over time,” said Minister Lecce. “This investment and access to reserves will enable more social distancing and improve air quality, and ultimately strengthen the layers of protection to keep students and staff safe.”
School plan fails to meet legal health and safety requirements – Education unions
Ontario’s four major education unions have requested an immediate meeting with the Minister of Labour and representatives from the Ministry of Education, contending that the government’s “Guide to Re-Opening Ontario’s Schools” fails to meet the requirements set out in the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The Guide “does not take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect teachers and education workers as is required by Section 25(2)(h) of the Act”, according to a letter sent today to the Ministries by the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO).
They represent more than 190,000 teachers and education workers who are expected to return to school in September under the government’s plan.
The unions contend that there is an absence of scientific consensus or certainty on significant aspects of Covid-19. Given that, Ontario is obliged under the Act to follow the precautionary principle and implement all reasonable measures necessary to reduce the risks that Covid-19 poses to health and safety.
“By reopening schools without measures to appropriately address critical issues, the Ministry of Education has placed the health and safety of educators, their students and the entire school community in significant and imminent danger,” states the letter.
It said the ministry’s guide to reopening has failed to provide adequate health and safety protections including:
- Limiting class size to allow for necessary physical distancing
- Setting out minimal measurable standards for ventilation in schools
- Providing a mask requirement for children under age 10
- Providing adequate screening for students; and
- Providing adequate safeguards for student bus transportation.
- The plan also fails to adopt the concept of cohorting in a manner consistent with current research, particularly by allowing cohorts of up to 100 students at the secondary level.
The letter requests that a meeting with government officials, representatives of public, Catholic, French school board associations and the Ministry of Labour’s health and safety inspectorate be held no later than Friday, August 21.
Additional Government measures include:
- Unlocking access to reserves up to $496 million, an increase of $244 million, by allowing boards to access up to 2 per cent of their operating budget from their prior year accumulated surplus. This funding can be applied to local priorities of each board, based on the immediate needs on the ground to prepare for the start of school. For boards that do not have sufficient reserves, the government will provide up to an additional $11 million in funding to support equitable school re-opening plans provincewide.
- Providing a record-setting $50 million in one-time funding to support improved ventilation, air quality and HVAC system effectiveness in schools. School boards will continue to maximize their use of existing school renewal funding, which totals over $1.4 billion this school year. Boards will focus on improving air systems in older schools, portables, and in neighbourhoods with higher rates of community transmission.
The government is also releasing a Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) that ensures students receive a high quality and consistent teacher-led remote learning experience. This directive will significantly strengthen minimum expectations, as well as provide a consistent approach across the province to ensure students are fully engaged in their learning, and have a predictable timetable for synchronous, live learning. It will include ministry-set requirements on the minimum time for synchronous learning by grade, protocols for communicating with parents and students and access to technology. The directive also outlines effective practices, such as training and technical support, which will enhance the implementation of synchronous instruction for students and staff, said a statement.
In addition, the government is ensuring accountability for parents and an improved remote learning experience by investing $18 million to help school boards hire principal and administrative support to better deliver and oversee synchronous, live learning. Students will continue to have several opportunities throughout the school year to re-enter classroom learning, and boards need to provide at least one re-entry point in the fall.
“We are taking action to ensure live, synchronous learning is improved, providing parents with consistency and a timetable to mirror the in-class experience,” said Minister Lecce. “In order for remote learning to be successful, we are urging unions to embrace this form of learning that parents expect and students deserve.”
The ministry will continue working closely with public health and school boards to monitor and report on the health status of school communities as part of the government’s outbreak management plan.
Quick Facts
- On July 30, 2020 the government released the Guide to Reopening Ontario’s Schools, which was developed in consultation with leading medical experts and approved by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. This plan committed over $300 million in funding to support a safe reopening of Ontario’s schools, which is part of the evolving layers of prevention the government is providing to students, parents, staff, and the communities they live and work in. The provincial guidelines provide a baseline and school boards are encouraged to adapt them to meet local needs and support students and families. They include:
- In-person classes for elementary school students five days per week for the 2020-2021 school year
- Masking for students in Grades 4-12
- Focus on cohorting and limiting student contacts
- Adapted secondary school delivery for designated boards
- The Ministry of Education is working in partnership with school boards to deliver access to the fast, reliable and secure broadband internet connectivity needed to support modernized, digital learning in school. All secondary schools are on target to have access by September 2020, and elementary schools by September 2021. As of June 30, 2020, broadband modernization has been completed at 2,252 schools, including 755 rural schools and 461 northern schools. Work is currently in progress at 2,685 schools, including 338 rural schools and 40 northern schools.
- On June 19, 2020, the government released a provincial reopening guidance plan to school boards and asked school boards to prepare their own restart plans for the upcoming school year, which were presented to the Ministry of Education.
- In the 2020-2021 school year, the government is investing approximately $1.4 billion for school renewal needs, which meets the standards outlined by the Auditor General of Ontario.
- The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) will supply key personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies to schools. Supplies needed for September are ready to be delivered to schools by mid-August.
- Prior to school starting, School Mental Health Ontario will provide school boards with a professional learning framework and toolkit to support the mental health of all students that can be tailored at the board and school level for different audiences. The professional learning will have a strong focus on building students’ social-emotional learning skills so that they can build resilience, manage their stress and build positive relationships.
- On March 20, 2020, the Ministry of Education unveiled the Learn at Home / Apprendre à la maison portal, which provides online resources for families and students.
- Parents and guardians have until August 31, 2020 to apply for Support for Families. Under this program, parents or guardians of children between 0-12 years old, or up to 21 years old for children and youth with special needs, are eligible for a one-time payment, per child, to purchase educational materials to support learning at home.
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