Quebec is sending kids back to school-here are the conditions

[Anonymous]

Good for them. I’ll send my kids the MINUTE they open

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t sound like this will benefit kids at all. As an elementary school teacher, the thought of trying to force them to sit still for seven hours makes me want to give up entirely. A total non starter.
They should do what New York is doing with the Regional enrichment centers for essential employees. Opening up schools like this is just silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assumed that the fact that they are going back was a sign that they were doing well, but their numbers are like ours, with almost 300 deaths per million.

I have friends who teach in Australia who are worried about schools going back, and their numbers are less than 2% of ours. That seems reasonable to me. But this seems crazy.

The province wants to do a trial run now rather than wait until September to see what is possible to put in place so they have a better sense of what to do in September. Quebec marches to its own beat. The school boards are not on board.

Absolutely.

Saskatchewan has just said that school is done for the year. Going back in September is a big "Maybe."

Saskatchewan's numbers are far lower than Quebec's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is fairly close to what is going on in Quebec - the rules listed and much of what is happening is political.

The school boards are adamantly against re-opening. They do not feel they can provide a decent education safely. They have been overruled and told they don't have any say. They have been told that if they put enough conditions and changes in place then it is safe.

So they are making a lot of rules to demonstrate their frustration at being forced to open against their own beliefs about what it right. These lists are intended to send a message to government.

We will see if they actually open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wouldn’t do this in America so stop freaking our people

Um, as someone with a teacher spouse, some of these things have been floated for how school will go if in-person classes are held in the fall.

I'm talking about no PE, art, music, library where they leave the classroom. Those teachers would come to the classrooms and do modified instruction.

Recess would be alternated on which classrooms get to go outside and which have indoor recess. When outside, kids can only play within their class. No more playing with friends from all other classes. All equipment would be off-limits.

No school assemblies, no field trips, no plays, fall/winter/spring musical/choral concerts.

Bathrooms will have a bathroom monitor who must clean after each use.

Masks must be worn. Lunch will be eaten in the classroom. Temperature checks before entering the school.

They are even toying with the idea of no backpacks. They will do grocery type bags for each kid that can be disposed of when they get home and vice versa.

Who is paying for all this? We couldn’t even get wipes and hand sanitizer at my school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is fairly close to what is going on in Quebec - the rules listed and much of what is happening is political.

The school boards are adamantly against re-opening. They do not feel they can provide a decent education safely. They have been overruled and told they don't have any say. They have been told that if they put enough conditions and changes in place then it is safe.

So they are making a lot of rules to demonstrate their frustration at being forced to open against their own beliefs about what it right. These lists are intended to send a message to government.

Good for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is fairly close to what is going on in Quebec - the rules listed and much of what is happening is political.

The school boards are adamantly against re-opening. They do not feel they can provide a decent education safely. They have been overruled and told they don't have any say. They have been told that if they put enough conditions and changes in place then it is safe.

So they are making a lot of rules to demonstrate their frustration at being forced to open against their own beliefs about what it right. These lists are intended to send a message to government.

Good for them.

It worked and the school boards were successful! School re-opening is now pushed back to May 25th (and will likely be delayed further)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is fairly close to what is going on in Quebec - the rules listed and much of what is happening is political.

The school boards are adamantly against re-opening. They do not feel they can provide a decent education safely. They have been overruled and told they don't have any say. They have been told that if they put enough conditions and changes in place then it is safe.

So they are making a lot of rules to demonstrate their frustration at being forced to open against their own beliefs about what it right. These lists are intended to send a message to government.

Good for them.

It worked and the school boards were successful! School re-opening is now pushed back to May 25th (and will likely be delayed further)

The daycare outbreak there may have concerned them too. Twelve out of 27 children contracted COVID-19, as did four employees.

[Anonymous]

It seems that every school that is reopening now is doing so under these extreme measures. I can’t help but wonder, what’s the point? Is it simply to say that you’ve “reopened”? So Quebec isn’t taking grades now? How much engagement do they really expect to get out of the students? Why not just continue with distance education until schools can actually reopen in a realistic way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How on earth do you keep young kids in their seats the entire day? I’m all for being cautious but some of these measures just seem a bit nuts.

I’m a middle school teacher and this would not work for my students either. I don’t think they would even keep their masks on all day.

[Anonymous]

Many European countries are sending back soon or this month (some already) . Most starting with primary grades and then phased. Many European countries are embracing the studies that kids are not spreaders - Switzerland is the most extreme on this point . There are contradictory studies but more recent indicate Kids are not spreaders. NIH announced major massive study on this issue on whether kids are vectors. UK which had far worse mortality rate than us (near 15%) is likely opening in early June. Actually many countries had worse / on par mortality rates etc - data is dirty because many did not count elderly with other existing conditions

I do not know how they are handling teachers at risk bc even if the kids are not spreaders there would be risks for them.

The European school year goes more into the summer than ours and is much shorter break. It will provide helpful data along with more methods etc. at same time, hopefully more of the research on whether or not they are spreaders is more conclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many European countries are sending back soon or this month (some already) . Most starting with primary grades and then phased. Many European countries are embracing the studies that kids are not spreaders - Switzerland is the most extreme on this point . There are contradictory studies but more recent indicate Kids are not spreaders. NIH announced major massive study on this issue on whether kids are vectors. UK which had far worse mortality rate than us (near 15%) is likely opening in early June. Actually many countries had worse / on par mortality rates etc - data is dirty because many did not count elderly with other existing conditions

I do not know how they are handling teachers at risk bc even if the kids are not spreaders there would be risks for them.

The European school year goes more into the summer than ours and is much shorter break. It will provide helpful data along with more methods etc. at same time, hopefully more of the research on whether or not they are spreaders is more conclusive.

This is totally false. Two studies were just conducted that indicated that even asymptomatic or mildly ill children shed as much virus as adults. You can’t just pretend kids can’t transmit the virus because you want your kids back in school.
How would that even work? Kids come down with a communicable disease but it’s impossible for them to give it to others? Has that ever been the case with any other illness? That’s like saying it’s fine to send your kid to school with the flu because they can’t get anyone else sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would keep both of my ES kids home. Different teachers, different classmates, staying in their seat for the entire day including lunch? Not worth it.

So I assume you would homeschool them. Otherwise you’re breaking the law.

No, Quebec is very clear that it's voluntary, and that only about 20% of students are expected to return.

20%? More like 60% and counting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like it’s daycare for those who need it, not school. I would keep my kids home.

This is basically it. Government won't admit it. They say they are reopening school for vulnerable children but the truth is these children won't be getting any services in this context. High School students are not going back to school except for those in Special Needs schools.

High School students who attend regular schools in special needs classrooms are not going back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is fairly close to what is going on in Quebec - the rules listed and much of what is happening is political.

The school boards are adamantly against re-opening. They do not feel they can provide a decent education safely. They have been overruled and told they don't have any say. They have been told that if they put enough conditions and changes in place then it is safe.

So they are making a lot of rules to demonstrate their frustration at being forced to open against their own beliefs about what it right. These lists are intended to send a message to government.

We will see if they actually open.

Schools are reopening this Monday outside the Greater Montréal Area.