Ontario Teachers Are Showing How Hard It Is To Distance In The Classroom (VIDEO)
Now that the Labour Day weekend is over, some districts in the province are headed back to school. There has been much discussion surrounding class sizes and the ability to social distance within classrooms leading up to Ontario’s first day of school. Teachers are sharing images on social media to demonstrate just how hard it may be to distance their students.
Editor's Choice: COVID-19 In Ontario Schools Has Already Been Reported This Month
Images shared on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook all show that teachers are having a hard time figuring out which class layout will best suit social distancing needs.
Most of them have upwards of 25 students in their classes, and, with that many desks, it’s proving to be difficult to provide two metres of space for each student.
The return to school comes after Ontario reported nearly 400 new COVID-19 cases in just two days. These kinds of numbers haven’t been seen since July.
In Ottawa, almost 190 students are being kept in self-isolation after possible exposure to COVID-19, reports CBC.
“Just finished setting up my classroom with 25 desks!! No matter what [Premier Ford] or [Stephen Lecce] has to say, we are not able to physically distance in this space,” wrote one educator on Twitter.
Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce have come under significant criticism throughout the summer for seemingly refusing to discuss the possibility of decreasing class sizes.
Another teacher took to Twitter to express frustration that her kindergarten classroom will hold 29 children, with only six tables for them to share.
These are just the tip of the iceberg of the many posts shared to social media from concerned and anxious teachers, a number of which featured the hashtag, #UnsafeSeptemberON.
Almost all the photos clearly show that distancing in Ontario's classrooms is going to be a difficult feat to achieve.
While some districts began school today, others have implemented staggered starts.
Some districts won't have students back until September 15.