York Region school boards ask parents about their technology in questionnaire

With ‘equity’ being an issue, education ministry, union search for digital solutions

Yorkregion.com
March 30, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

York Region school boards have created a questionnaire to see if households have enough computers and high-speed internet connections to allow all students to study online, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“York Region District School Board has been identifying opportunities to support the continuity of learning and caring for all of our students,” YRDSB wrote. “We know not all of our students have the technology they need to access these resources, and we want to hear from our families.”

It added, “We have created a brief questionnaire to help us understand how many of our students require technology (devices or internet access) to continue learning at home. If you have multiple children attending a YRDSB school(s) who require technology support, please fill out this form for each child.

“If your child has access to a device such as desktop, laptop or Chromebook with Internet, you do not need to complete this questionnaire.”

Ab Falconi, director of education of the York Region Catholic School Board, wrote in an email on March 25: “We've put together a short questionnaire to help us understand how many of our students are in need of technology devices and/or the Internet in order to facilitate learning at home. If your child has access to a device such as a desktop computer, laptop or Chromebook (and the Internet), you do not need to complete this questionnaire.

“We want to make sure that all our students have the same opportunity to learn from home,” he added.

While a ministerial order would see all publicly funded schools reopen on April 6, Premier Doug Ford has said it is “unlikely that schools will reopen on April 6.”

So far, school boards have not received any notice or additional information on the timing of schools reopening.

OSSTF collaborates with ministry

Meanwhile, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation said on Friday March 27 that it’s “looking for 10 front-line members with the expertise in innovative approaches to curriculum delivery to serve on an advisory work group.”
The call to form a distance-learning advisory work group comes after the OSSTF and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce “connected” on March 26, said Sandy Glassford, York Region’s president of District 16 OSSTF.

“My understanding is that yesterday OSSTF connected with the Minister of Education to form a work group to develop a consistent protocol for all Boards to follow in supporting student learning,” Glassford told Yorkregion.com in an email.

“I think it is imperative that through this process everyone recognizes that everyone's current lived situation, both students and staff, is different,” Glassford said. “Not everyone has access to high speed internet and technology at home which will be an impediment for students to access programming and teachers in delivering programming.”

Glassford said “OSSTF is committed to working with school boards, union colleagues and government partners to move quickly to develop a plan that works for all students, respects the needs of parents, and ensures our educators can deliver the resources and support our students need to advance their education.”