Is a return to class on Jan. 17 likely?

The first week of online learning is in the books and some students are looking forward to it continuing.

“I'm used to it because we've done it before, but it's harder for like, classes like math and stuff,” says Grade 11 Student Jasmin Martin, whose entire high school experience has been centred around COVID, she hopes to be back in class on Jan 17.

“I feel like it's good for us to be in person. I know it's hard with like COVID stuff, but like, it makes learning a lot easier for a lot of people,” she added.

Both teachers unions say their members want to be back in the class as soon as it’s deemed safe to do so, but John Bernans the president of the local Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) has concerns on the supply of N95 masks that have started arriving this week.

“Hopefully it seems that those will be ready for our members who are returning in person next week for a students who can't engage in remote learning, but I'm not sure that there is enough for everybody to go back on the 17th at this point.”

Craig Smith is the local president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), and he says it’s possible, although unlikely, that high school students could return before elementary students.

“The age of the students, there may be a higher rate of vaccination there...their class sizes are smaller, their spaces are bigger, they can more they can potentially physically distance in a way that we can’t.”

No decision is expected until next week on a possible return but both unions say the government has yet to consult with them about a return-to-class strategy.