CALGARY -- Thousands of students from Kindergarten through Grade 12 resumed in-person learning Monday as pandemic-related restrictions remain in place in Alberta, which will stay in effect until at least Jan. 21.
Some students welcomed the return to school after an extended break, including attending virtual classes last week.
“I’m really excited to go back to school because I feel like online classes really was not the way to learn,” said Ami Avdic, a Grade 10 student at Western Canada High School in Calgary.
Others wondered why Alberta is resuming classes since COVID-19 cases are higher than in the fall and the province prolonged the latest lockdown on businesses and gatherings.
“I feel a little nervous to be honest,” said Lyane Ndossi Vinay, a Grade 12 at Western Canada High School.
“A little bit confused as to why we’re going back seeing everything else is staying closed."
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said last week that there is little for cause for concern as COVID-19 transmissions in schools have proven rare.
According to Hinshaw, students and school staff account for only 0.4 per cent of all of Alberta's cases and data from the fall showed in-school transmission was not the main driver of positive cases.
"In fact, analysis of all of our cases in school-aged children (confirmed) only about six per cent of all these cases were determined to have been acquired at school," she said.
Nearly 80 per cent of Alberta schools have had confirmed COVID-19 cases and 294 out of the province’s 379 schools have been designated as being in "outbreak status", with two or more cases on record.
Of those schools, 122 are also on "watch status" as five or more cases have been reported. Those numbers have prompted some experts to disagree with the province’s claim of low school transmission rates.
COVID-19 biostatistician Ryan Imgrund believes the positivity rate in schools is actually much higher than what the province is reporting, as asymptomatic testing isn't being conducted.
"What we do not want is to have school reopen prematurely when they should not be open and then have to do this exact same thing come March or April," he said.
Imgrund drives his point home with testing data from an Ontario school. Administration thought there was only three positive cases, but 49 cases were confirmed once all 350 students were tested.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) says the ongoing issues of large class sizes and a lack of support systems for staff remain significant concerns ahead of the return to class.
Jason Schilling, ATA president, is challenging the province to take greater precautions.
"Teachers, students, families and the community deserve to be better protected," said Schilling. "There is a swath of measures that would help make schools safer and help to keep them open longer that the government continues to ignore."
The ATA has produced a report outlining eight recommendations that it says would keep communities safe and schools open longer during the pandemic. It is concerned that without any changes in-school learning will be disrupted again.
Child advocates say ensuring classes continue uninterrupted should be the priority.
“Schools should be the last place to close and the first place to open,” said Sara Austin CEO of Children First.
“There’s been a sharp rise in children’s screen time which is impacting their mental health. As adults, as policy makers we have to do everything possible to contain the spread and keep kids in school.”
One parent of students in Grade 4 and Grade 11 worries her kids will be forced to face more education obstacles and hopes the province provides an updated school plan.
“They are nervous, I’m nervous,” said Mayssoun Hniedi.
“With the elementary school a little more confident because we haven’t had many cases but with the high school it’s a different story like there were a lot of interruptions cause of entire classes having to quarantine.
“There isn’t much changed to the plan like I don’t see it being any different now.”
Four other organizations of parents, educators and doctors also formed a coalition urging the government to adopt updated strategies to make schools safer and continue in-class learning.
Masks4Canada (Alberta) has joined forces with the AB Coalition for Safer School ReLaunch with RadEducatorsNetwork, ABDocs4Teachers, and Support Our Students Alberta. Some of their recommendations include ventilation assessments for all schools, and establishing clear benchmarks for what will trigger closures or class changes.
The Government of Alberta is maintaining its commitment of $120 million in school authority funding for this school year as well as $250 million in accelerated capital maintenance and renewal funding, and a $10 million investment in personal protective equipment such as masks, face shields and sanitizers.
ATA says that money was allocated in the budget pre-pandemic and more resources are needed.
The province says it has also approved the use of $363 million in board reserves for COVID-19-related costs and is ready to make changes to the school re-entry plan as required.
