TORONTO – The news that in the coming weeks there would be cuts to the teaching staff of the Toronto Caholic District School Board (TCDSB) to parents just did not go down. Today, a group of mothers and fathers of the students of the schools of the Catholic Board organized a protest that started in front of the Saint Pius X Catholic School which is located near Jane and Bloor Street. 

The Covid-19 pandemic is putting a strain on parents, children and teachers and the planned cuts of a number of teachers announced by the TCDSB, can only make the situation even more difficult.

In the meantime the Board defends itself by stating that it is difficult to find the necessary funds to pay the salaries of an unknown number of teachers: these are not only problems related to enrollment but also problems related to the restrictions caused by the pandemic and the number of infections in its schools. In fact, the news of the dismissals took the parents of the children by surprise and the reasons for the need to make cuts in the workforce, are currently very vague.

Meanwhile Ontario today reported 280 new cases of Covid in its schools bringing the total to 1,867. Among the students the new infections are 257, the infected teachers 18 and 5 the members of the non-teaching staff.

In terms of percentages, there are over 16% of schools in Ontario where Covid infections have been reported: in the two weeks the reported infections were 1,450.

According to what the government reported on its website, the schools where at least one case has occurred are 808 out of a total of 4,844 while the Monsignor Leo Cleary Catholic School in Courtice remains closed where initially there were 11 infections. To have been forced to move from face-to-face lessons to distance learning are the students of 291 classes.

In Toronto, in particular, school-age children currently represent the highest share of Covid-19 cases of any demographic but according to the city’s medical officer of health Eileen de Villa most infections are contracted outside of schools: de Villa said the rate of cases among children aged four to 11 has risen steadily since schools reopened earlier this month and now stands at 64 per 100,000, up from 57 per 100,000 last week.

“It is important to note that most of the cases detected in children to date are isolated, those that can be related to an outbreak are few. The source of infection is therefore their home – concluded de Villa – so it is absolutely essential that parents get vaccinated to help ensure that schools remain open”.