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Think back to last August when the province announced its back-to-school plan.
Critics argued the plan to reopen schools would put students and teachers at risk of catching COVID-19. Not surprisingly, opposition politicians denounced the plan.
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Despite these criticisms, the province went ahead with reopening schools. Except for the first two weeks of January after the winter break, most schools have remained open since the beginning of September.
Now that we have completed more than half the school year, we can safely say that reopening schools in September was the right decision. So was the decision to keep most schools open when COVID-19 cases spiked in November and December.
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Zwaagstra also has some roots in Saskatchewan, having graduated from Yorkton Regional High School. On Aug. 10, he said, “I think that Saskatchewan has to balance the challenge of managing COVID-19 with the absolute necessity of getting kids back in school.” He said, “I would have a very strong preference for students to have in-class instruction. I think all students should be back, with priority to Kindergarten to Grade 8. But really, it s best for high school students to be back everyday as well. And I would favour limited physical distancing measures. So, for example, don t have all-school assemblies. Don t have evening events that are open to the public, that people come and watch sports games. Make sure that hand sanitizer is available. Encourage teachers to set up classrooms in a way that reduces contact to the greatest degree possible.
Extended School Closures Are Harmful to Students
Commentary
It’s been just over a year since the first COVID-19 case was identified in Canada. Since that time, the federal and provincial governments have struggled to contain this virus through a series of rotating lockdowns.
Last spring, virtually every school in the country was closed, and most closures lasted for the remainder of the school year. While most schools reopened last fall, several provinces reverted to temporary closures when a second wave of COVID-19 cases swept across the country in October and November.
Unfortunately, some closures lasted much longer. Notably, many Ontario students have been learning remotely since the Christmas break, with students in half of the 22 regions in southern Ontario not scheduled to return to classes until at least Feb. 10, if then.