Toronto District School Board will finalize its back-to-school plans this week for elementary students, which were initially rejected by the province
At a press conference on Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended his back-to-school plans. When asked why his government wasn’t committing extra funding to ensure class sizes could be widely reduced in Toronto and elsewhere, he said the government’s move to allow school boards to use their reserve funds to hire more teachers was enough.
Meanwhile, the City of Toronto has offered extra community centre space for classrooms. Toronto Mayor John Tory said it is imperative for the province, the school boards, public health and the city to work together to make sure parents have the clarity they need on what back-to-school will look like.
Teachers at the board are still waiting to find out what their days and class sizes will look like in the fall. They are also awaiting details about their first day of teaching, as the TDSB is now considering a staggered start of its first weeks of school. Many are concerned about physical distancing in classes that sometimes contain more than 30 children and in large schools where thousands of students enter their doors each day.
“So 3,300 to 3,500 adults and children will congregate in one space for exit and entry,” Mr. Darawal added. “I don’t know any public setting, any hospital, any restaurant, any patio space that makes it acceptable.”
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