I haven't encountered any severe outbursts or rebellions so far amongst the student population. The kids that are there just want to be there and are trying to find whatever normalcy and socialization they can during this. Plus I work with kids mostly 9 and under so they're not too rebellious in general at that age yet...
I suspect any kids that would be hard to get to play along with all this are the ones staying home, which is a very large number so far this year, but we'll see if that changes as the year moves on. More could return.
As for staff, most of us are just humans... there's a mix of young to almost retireds and its a mix of opinions but it seems most are genuinely just trying to make the best of a shit situation. No one wants to be enforcing and having to abide by this but most are powerless otherwise we're all out of a job. In the end we're all just trying to make ends meat, and most have families of their own too.
We talk amongst ourselves about the things we dont like, etc. But it all comes down the pipes from the government > provincial education ministers>unions>municipal health units> then to the schools to implement. By the time it gets to us its set in stone and the only choice we have is to work or take leave.
It sucks
Not so far, the sanitizer the entire school board is using is actually an alcohol free one. Its light and foamy and almost water like. Even I have to admit its 100x better than purell type sanitizers.
Agreed. Its like night and day from when i was a kid.
Covid aside, the teachers have no and exercise no authority. The children are not reprimanded for things that actually matter, like manners, talking back, being disrespectful to staff, other students or even school property, etc.
They're just ignored or softly spoken to with the tone of which you'd talk to a baby.
Now the focus is reprimanding them for not sanitizing enough or for wanting to talk/play too close to their friends.
A big change needs to occur. The future doesn't look great for these children.
I'm really not sure what my board will do. I believe for now its being left up to the individual boards and municipal health units that they work with to make the call to shut it down. So that will probably make it different throughout the province.
I'm hoping my board won't be so quick and hysterical to pull the plug if some kids get the sniffles but I also wouldn't put it passed them with the way other boards are acting.
If the government of Ontario as a whole shuts it down then there's nothing we can do as well.
Everyone is just taking everything day by day right now because everyday some new rules and regs come down the pipes to be enforced. Its a gong show.
I'm glad you were able to find a solution thats working out for your family.
There are almost no kids at my school this year. I'd say a third if that.
My biggest gripe is that many want to learn, many want to socialize and all are entitled to a good public education if that's what they so desire.
The fact that a whole generation of kids is about to have little to no access and be cheated out of what should be an accessible education is ridiculous.
The government overreach and news fuelled hysteria is doing so much more damage than any of what they're trying to prevent to cover their own asses.
Basically how I'm operating. Myself and a few others from what I can see.
I agree with you. There is very little actual educating going on in general, even before covid.
Out of a 6 hour school day the kids get 2 15 min recesses, 2 20 min nutrition/snack breaks, a 20 min lunch and a 30 min lunch recess.
The rest is learning time which may or may not actually end up being 3 hours of actual educating.
So far the teachers I work with haven't been too excited about it. They seem to be just going through the motions to keep their jobs. The ones that came back want to be working from what I can see.
Some of the paid lunchroom supervisors and support staff are a little too overzealous about this stuff though and even the kids' eyes are rolling in the back of their heads at the ridiculousness of it all.
Lol, I honestly admire and wish I could trade places with the janitors right about now so I wouldn't have to partake in enforcing this stuff.
I'm in Ontario, can't speak for how the other provinces might be handling things.
2 is the scenario were in right now. Real time.
We live in an age of media fueled hysteria and ambulance chasers.
Realistically you're right, we can't get a gaggle of children to be completely militaristically sanitary and following every rule 100% of the time (its even more absurd when you realize they're riding the bus to and from the school not required to have facemasks on and crammed 3 to a seat).
But like I said, the boards are bound by law to do what the government tells them, and also moreso its unfortunately in their interest to be able to say and prove they have been doing everything to standards so that if a child does become ill, the parents can't sue.
Another unfortunate side effect of the times we live in