It’s back to class (sort of) for Ontario’s students

Thestar.com
April 6, 2020

Ontario is joining other provinces in bringing an end to the “corona-cation” that followed March break by getting students back to class, albeit in their own homes.

It’s the right thing to do; really, it’s the only thing to do. Schools won’t reopen for at least another month and, quite possibly, not at all this academic year.

Students can’t be left any longer with so little to occupy their days that parents can almost feel their children’s brains shrinking with all the hours of television, social media and video streaming.

But let’s also be clear: this is going to be rough. It will bear very little resemblance to the education that students are used to getting.

The education ministry and dozens of school boards across the province have been frantically developing training for teachers in how to educate students at a distance. At the same time, they are figuring out how to get laptops or tablets (or even the internet) to students who don’t normally have access at home, how to prioritize and adapt a curriculum not designed for any of this, and a myriad of other challenges.

And all by Monday, when some two million students will be expected to focus on learning again after what’s become an unwelcome three-week break.

Given all that, it’s quite possible that Education Minister Stephen Lecce is promising more than he can realistically deliver.

Lecce says the gaps in technological access will be bridged and teachers empowered to use whatever means necessary to reach all their students. He’s even mused about bus drivers ferrying materials to rural areas without internet access.

“One way or another, by printed materials or tablet, every child should and will be able to continue learning through the curriculum supported by their teacher,” Lecce said when he announced the plan.

So much so that he says the school work in the coming weeks will be evaluated and graded.

But does it make it sense, and is it even fair, for teachers to be grading students on work done in these unusual and far from ideal circumstances?

The province isn’t contemplating even trying to replace all the hours students normally spend in school. And what is delivered will vary wildly depending on the technological capacities of individual teachers and the students on the receiving end.

This forced home-schooling may work out pretty well for motivated students who live in well-resourced households. It’s certain to be much more difficult for students with special needs or those who simply need a little more supervision and assistance from a teacher to complete the required coursework. Some students will have a hard time just finding the quiet time and space they need to do this coursework at home.

Equity in education goes well beyond just access to technology. The education minister should not forget that.

This schooling plan is being developed on the fly -- as most things are these days -- so the standard isn’t perfection. But Ontario can’t afford to create a COVID-19 education system that enables some students to succeed but ensures that those who need the most help will be left behind.

What’s important is reconnecting students with their teachers and each other, and engaging kids in the curriculum to mitigate the learning loss that happens with extended time away from school.

Providing “some sense of stability and hope,” as Lecce says, should certainly be achievable.

Providing quality and equitable education that is worth grading seems far more of a stretch target.

“We want you to succeed,” he says.

In that case, he’ll have to watch how things unfold in the coming weeks and be prepared to revisit whether issuing grades for work done under these conditions is achieving that goal.