View From the Legislature

Last week Friday, Manitoba Public Health made the decision to move schools in the Hanover School Division to critical on the Pandemic Response System. This meant that, generally, students would move to at home learning.

As the Minister of Education, this was something that we very much wanted to avoid as in-class learning is so critical to our student’s success. As a parent of a student who is impacted by the change, I was disappointed for my son who has been enjoying being able to be in school. However, as the COVID19 test positivity rate rose to 40% in some parts of the region, among the highest rates in the country, public health officials determined a need to move schools to this response level.

They also made it clear however that it was not done because schools themselves are unsafe. While there have been many students who have contacted the virus in the community and come to school, relatively few students have contacted it in schools. This lack of in-school transmission is a testament to the great work that has been done by teachers, EAs, bus drivers, administrators and all those working in our school system. However, with the high rate of community transmission, increased efforts are being placed by public health on reducing the volume of contacts individuals are having generally thereby reducing potential spread. Schools in Hanover became part of that effort.

While many parents and students will be disappointed by this transition, there are several reasons to find optimism. The first is that there is a great desire to return to in-class learning and it is seen as a priority when health officials make that determination. As well, this is a different situation then spring when the move to at home learning was unplanned for. While it was hoped that it could be minimized this fall, there has already been a significant amount of at home learning happening because of COVID19 cases in students and cohorts or immune compromised students. Schools seem to be generally more prepared and the expectations for learning will be higher. As well, schools are not entirely closed as the students of critical service workers in the lower grades continue to have access to in school learning.

When planning for the school year was happening in the summer, there was special attention paid to trying to ensure that schools remained safe and open. And while COVID19 numbers have escalated higher and faster in Manitoba and most of Canada than anyone wanted, the most recent shift for education staff and students will be another challenge. But like the past challenge, we will benefit from an excellent compliment of professional teachers and staff in Hanover as they help students make the adjustment with an eye towards being able to return to the classroom in the near future.