Opinions divided after York school board says graduation ceremonies to go virtual

YRDSB says it’s waiting for further direction from the ministry, a move described as ‘a little confusing’

Yorkregion.com
June 8, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Families have a divided opinion after York Region District School Board sent out an electronic letter Monday, June 7 saying that graduation ceremonies are going virtual.

“We have planned for virtual graduations this year in June,” said YRDSB, citing safety of its students and staff as a top priority.

“This decision was based on the need to make decisions in a timely manner and the guidance of York Region Public Health regarding the predicted conditions and the stay-at-home order.”

However, in a show that YRDSB’s decision might not be fully conclusive of its graduation plan, the board said, the Ministry of Education has “indicated that they will be sharing further direction with school boards shortly.”

“Please stay tuned for further information that will be provided as soon as it is available.”

Sveta Rovinska, who has a graduating Grade 12 son, is disappointed.

“I hear from lots of parents that they're very upset, especially after the government announced that they are encouraging graduation ceremonies. It doesn't seem like the board wants to do something a bit extra to give them a chance.”

On June 2, the province announced that all schools will continue remote learning for the remainder of the school year, but it also explained how Ontario students deserve a “positive conclusion to their academic journey, safely.”

For secondary schools, the province pegged short, outdoor celebrations, where physical distancing is possible, in June.

Rovinska explained parents aren’t expecting anything grand, and that something simple would work.

Vaughan resident Marina Dykhtan, who has a Grade 8 son, is also unhappy about this decision.

“What’s doable is putting chairs outside, space them out. They don’t need anything extravagant,” Dykhtan said. “It seems they don't want to do anything that requires extra effort, it has nothing to do with budget.”

The board is “letting the kids down, big time,” she added.

However, there are others who expressed their full support for the board.

Megan Houston, who is part of the 4,000-member Facebook group Families for Safe Schools in York Region, said, “I think that the board made the right call here.”

For her, the idea of having any in-person celebration is “completely unrealistic.”

“Outdoor events are 10 people maximum. If a school has 60 kids graduating, plus two guests per student, that would mean that schools (primarily volunteers) would be required to organize 18 different graduation ceremonies per school,” she explained.

“There are 12 public elementary schools, and two public high schools in Georgina ... that's a lot logistics for volunteers already stretched to handle.”

As for the discrepancy between the government’s and YRDSB’s messaging, “I feel like this is just (Premier Doug) Ford trying to score points and make the teachers and schools the scapegoat for disappointed parents.”

Shameela Shakeel, a parent activist and founder of Families for Safe Schools in York Region, explained how “there are bigger problems right now in the world,” and it's disrespectful for Ford’s government to encourage outdoor graduation when school boards were already planning for virtual ceremonies from the get-go.

“The kids have all been doing their own slides for the slide shows for over a month and the planning has been going on for quite a while,” she said. “I don't have a problem with continuing with just the virtual grads, particularly because you know they have put all the work into it. Also, we're not in any position to be having large gatherings.”

Shakeela, after all, saw her daughter graduating from Grade 12 last year without the in-person ceremony and now she is going to watch her Grade 8 son going through the same experience.

“I can't even have family over in my backyard right now,” she said.