It was just five months ago when teacher's unions in Ontario were haggling over a 2% pay increase for their members as well as fighting the government's plan for some on-line high school courses.
How quickly the landscape changes!
Of concern now is what education will look for Ontario's two million students come September. Some favor a cautious re-opening of classrooms, others a retreat to on-line learning while a smaller group is promoting a blend of something in between.
Farrell, the young lad who shoveled our driveway when we were away in Spain, recently told me that he has decided to defer going back to Seneca College for at least one semester. I think many post secondary students will replicate that decision.
I've been sitting on the fence on this issue until my daughter pushed me off to the side of online schooling after sharing this story.
Janice's two year old son has recently returned to his daycare which re-opened July 6. She was informed by staff last Thursday that Adrian was running a temperature and could not return to the daycare until he had a Covid test. I suppose that makes sense but that was of little consolation to my daughter who had to wait in a line for three hours the next day with a squirming toddler, not to mention upending her work day.
(Test negative thank goodness!)
I can only imagine an avalanche of kids with everything from coughs to diarrhea requiring invasive testing in the fall should schools re-open too soon.
Keeping kids safe at home is hopefully only a temporary measure and one in keeping with the old maxim about trying to err on the side of caution. I only hope our decision makers see it that way.
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