Roussin, Goertzen grilled on school plan

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Questions on cohorts and contact tracing, masks and mandates, equity and access dominated an hour-long town hall on the government’s back-to-school plan Tuesday night.

In a moderated telephone town hall, hosts Minister of Education Kelvin Goertzen and chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin fielded more than a dozen questions from Manitobans on the government’s plans to reopen schools on Sept. 8.

As the parent of a child entering high school for the first time, Goertzen said he is sympathetic to the added worry of COVID-19 on top of back-to-school stresses.

“These are of course trying times for Manitobans and while we have much to be thankful and optimistic for, it is a challenge of course in all places in Canada and around the world. It’s an anxious time,” Goertzen said.

A number of parents wanted to know how school divisions will support students who can’t attend school for medical reasons and questioned why the government isn’t offering a remote-learning option for those who are uncomfortable having their child in class.

Taya, a parent of three who called in from Winnipeg, said distance learning options should be made available to all students in kindergarten through Grade 8.

“There are many parents that are very hesitant,” the parent said. “Just being told that it’s either you send them, or it’s home-schooling, it’s kind of unnerving.

“Can’t a teacher be designated, say per grade, that also doesn’t feel comfortable going into that situation, can they be designated to online learning for those who want to stay home?”

Nicole, a parent who called in to express her concerns over exposing her immunocompromised adult daughter to COVID-19, said she is worried what will happen when her other children head to class this fall.

Her situation was echoed by other callers who identified as both parents and essential caregivers for those in personal care homes.

“I feel like I’m having to choose between my daughter’s health and my other two’s education. Why can there not be a compromise?” Nicole said.

Goertzen said students who are told by their physician to stay home from class will be supported by their school divisions for at-home learning, and individual learning plans will be developed by schools on a case-by-case basis. That includes students who have special needs, but that opportunity can’t be extended to everyone.

Divisions are anticipating higher absenteeism among students and staff and it would be difficult for teachers to maintain in-class and remote-learning programs, Goertzen said.

“We know and it was certainly experienced in spring, that those grades K to 8 are probably the least likely to do well with at-home learning… and that is a real challenge particularly at those younger grades,” Goertzen said.

“We do expect that teachers will be more at a premium this year than they have been in the past,” he added.

Roussin said plans to support children of families who have vulnerable members at home are still being ironed out.

Other questions included how divisions would monitor the quality of remote learning, whether the province would reintroduce a self-isolation period travellers when school starts up, and how public health would contact trace and make notifications on positive cases in schools.

Roussin said public health orders on travel continue to be monitored and public health officials will inform school communities when positive cases are identified.

Callers also wanted an explanation as to why non-medical masks haven’t been mandated in schools and demanded the government extend the recommendation for mask wearing to those younger than Grade 5.

Mandating masks is still an option, Roussin said, but the public health approach is to first recommend and see how people comply.

“We guide Manitobans, we provide recommendations and up to now our recommendations have been followed,” Roussin said. “Mask use is important and we may at some point require mandated masks.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca