Thousands sign petition asking Ontario to reduce class sizes for elementary school students this fall

Thestar.com
August 4, 2020

Ontario’s plan to reopen schools without reducing class sizes for elementary students in the age of COVID-19 is “disappointing” and “disturbing,” says one Toronto parent.

Kelly Iggers, who works as a teacher-librarian for the Toronto District School Board, said it is nearly impossible to practise physical distancing in already overcrowded classrooms.

On Saturday, she started a petition calling on the Ontario government to reduce class sizes. By Monday evening, more than 65,000 people had signed it.

Iggers fears the lack of physical distancing in schools will lead to coronavirus outbreaks in the wider community. Iggers’s child is set to enter junior kindergarten in September.

“We can’t just accept an irresponsible, unsafe plan because our schools don’t have enough room in them. That’s not an adequate reason to jeopardize the safety of our communities,” she said.

Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce last week announced the plan for a full-time return to school for elementary students across the province this fall, and a part-time class schedule for secondary students in larger school boards. They also announced mandatory face masks for students starting in Grade 4, and said the province will spend $309 million on personal protective equipment for educators, additional staffing and cleaning supplies. But reducing class sizes for elementary students was not part of the plan.

All four provincial teachers unions issued a statement last week saying the government is “jeopardizing the safety of students, educators and all Ontarians by severely underfunding” the reopening.

School boards are expected to release their plans about how they will implement the fall reopening plans on Tuesday.

Guidelines for schools released by the Hospital for Sick Children recommended a one-metre separation between desks for elementary school students. Other recommendations included proper ventilation, cohorting and general physical distancing.

Iggers said that based on her experience, many classrooms in Toronto can’t accommodate physical distancing with 30 students inside. Also, most schools are in old buildings that have “very very poor to no ventilation” and “many schools have windows that don’t open at all,” she said.

“It’s irresponsible to do anything but trust the medical and scientific evidence that is out there,” Iggers said.

But at least one infectious disease specialist said Ontario is taking a reasonable approach to bringing students back in September.

Mandatory masks for students in grades 4 to 12 is a step in the right direction, as is the idea of alternating school days for older students in densely populated areas, said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an associate professor in the University of Toronto’s faculty of medicine.

“I really think there is a lot of attention focused on the right places,” said Bogoch, who researches infectious diseases.

“If there is one wrinkle in this, it is the physical distancing piece, which is important,” he said. “We know that spreading apart is really helpful in preventing the spread of COVID-19, especially in indoor settings.”

Using bigger spaces such as gymnasiums, taking classes outside or opening windows are possible solutions for schools that have crowded classrooms, he said.

“The measures at school, ideally, are meant to prevent transmission of cases unintentionally brought into the school. Are they good enough? I don’t know. I honestly don’t know,” said Bogoch.

Provinces across Canada are taking different approaches to reopening schools in September. British Columbia and Quebec were the only two provinces to reopen schools before the end of the last school year. In B.C., students will return to school full-time in September, with elementary students allowed to interact with up to 60 students and secondary students allowed to interact with up to 120 students.

Nova Scotia joined Ontario in mandating masks, but only in certain settings, such as buses and hallways.

Bogoch emphasized that provincial governments are only able to release what is essentially a “playbook” on how to reopen schools. Each school district and school will implement the guidelines differently, he said.

“I think parents really have to ask the hard questions to see what is the plan at their particular school.”

But that’s where the Ontario government’s plan could do real long-term damage, Iggers said.

“It’s a plan that is absolutely inequitable and it really undermines and even attacks our public education system,” she said.

Iggers believes most parents won’t be satisfied that schools are safe for children, and that families with the resources to school their children elsewhere, by paying for private school or hiring a tutor, will do so.

This means families in poorer neighbourhoods will bear the brunt of the risk. But it’s also bad for the entire public school system, said Iggers.

That’s why it’s important that the provincial government set an example and show that schools will be safe, she said.

“When you prompt families with privilege to opt out, you remove a lot of really powerful voices with the ability to advocate,” she said. “That’s a really destructive thing to do.”