Sask. teachers dealing with 'chaos' as Omicron spreads through schools
The Omicron COVID-19 variant has arrived in Saskatchewan schools, with as many as 40 outbreaks and more than 1,000 cases across the province.
On Wednesday, Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) sent a letter to parents and guardians notifying them of interruptions in classes due to staffing shortages and its plans to redeploy staff to fill the gaps.
“If several cases are reported in the classroom, the class may be moved to remote learning for a temporary period of time,” director of education Shane Skjerven told CTV News.
“In our high schools, a specific class may be cancelled for the day if we can't get a substitute teacher assigned to that class. Also, there may be interruptions to bus and taxi service due to driver absences. And lastly, you know, families who receive one to one support from an educational assistant for their child, receiving support, may be asked to keep their child at home for a day if a substitute, EA, or service cannot be provided and that would be a last resort.”
Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab has said it's important to maintain in-class learning as much as possible while accepting some high transmission.
Skjerven said SPS has had 439 cases among staff and students, and 13 classes in the school division have switched to online learning.
Greater Saskatoon Catholic School division spokesperson Derrick Kunz said in an email that the division is seeing increases in the number of staff who are ill, isolating, or taking care of ill or isolating children.
“So far, we’re able to reallocate staff within any given school to cover for absences that cannot be filled with substitutes. That might mean the level of specialized services for students (like extra literacy supports) is reduced. We’re not there yet, but realistically, we may get to a point where we need to reassign staff or shift resources more broadly.”
Kunz says letters are sent to parents in the cohort or class when a positive case is identified, but that’s becoming increasingly difficult with rapid antigen tests.
“We have no way of knowing the source of the positive test or of verifying the information we are given,” he said. “We have 10 classrooms that have temporarily switched to online learning.”
Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation President Patrick Maze calls the situation frustrating.
“Unfortunately, government chose not to act and we're the ones paying the price. It's the teachers and principals and educational assistants and all the in-school workers who are dealing with this chaos that I feel worst about.”
Maze says the most vulnerable students end up being affected first, as specialized teachers get pulled into regular classrooms.
Ministry of Education executive director of programs Kevin Gabel says school divisions have done an excellent job under extraordinary circumstances.
“The Government of Saskatchewan believes it's important to resume in-class learning as normally and safely as possible, and that the school divisions will continue to work with our local medical health officers in responding to any public health risks in the school settings,” he said.
“We are doing our very best to ensure that we have substitute teachers and TA’s in place, although that is a challenge, it continues to be a challenge,” said Skjerven.
“All of our students and staff have access to triple-layer medical-grade masks, every single day we have hand sanitizer, we teach hand hygiene, we're working very hard as much as we can on cohorting students, although it's a challenge, but we're doing that so I think that's the best we can do at this point in time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.