TORONTO – The guidelines outlined by Ontario to deal with Covid in the province’s public schools are not enough. Dissatisfied with the protocols, which will be implemented with the start of the new school year, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has decided to do it itself and has drawn up a series of guidelines. Everything is silent, however, as far as the Toronto Catholic District School Board is concerned: the return to school is still shrouded in mystery.

Under the TDSB’s plan, which was presented tuesday evening to school trustees, only outdoor or virtual platform assemblies are allowed, while provincial officials gave the green light to indoor assemblies.

The “singing” will be allowed inside only if all participants wear masks, while the Ministry of Education has approved singing indoors if the boys can maintain a distance of two meters between them.

And again, while the provincial government has approved the resumption of all team sports and other extracurricular activities, the staff of the TDSB says that it is still developing a plan for a “gradual” resumption of these activities. As for ventilation, a key area of this year’s provincial plan, the TDSB says it will have HEPA air filters in every space occupied in all schools, even if that school already has properly filtered central mechanical ventilation.

TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird said that the school board has integrated other guidelines into the school return plan, guidelines that are in addition to those of the province’s Ministry of Education and that in some cases, with the input of Toronto Public Health, have been made slightly stricter”.

Just a few weeks ago the Minister of Education Stephen Lecce had committed to HEPA filtration in all the spaces occupied by students involving students including those of the kindergarten or in school areas without adequate mechanical ventilation. A plan, this, that according to the spokeswoman of Lecce Caitlin Clark was conceived by the Chief medical officer of health Moore. “Our government will continue to follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health to ensure the safety of our schools, students and staff – he said – as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the prevention measures in place will keep schools as safe as possible, with distance, testing, strict screening protocols and better ventilation in 100% of schools. We are taking further action by implementing vaccination disclosure policies for education workers, increasing access to the vaccine for 11-year-olds born in 2009 and opening vaccination clinics in schools”.

Brown, however, launched a tirade at the Ford government: “The fact that a school board has to strengthen a provincial plan is worrying – she said – I think that once again this highlights that the Ford government’s plan has not gone far enough with regard to the measures that must be put in place. They have left it to the individual committees to look into these issues and that is a pity.”

The school board said that 86% of parents – last year it was 70% – expressed a desire to return their children to face-to-face learning. In February 2022, parents will be able to switch students from virtual to face-to-face education and vice versa.

Toronto District School Board (credit Wikipedia.org)