COVID-19 Back-to-School Plan in QuebecSince May 11, preschool and elementary schools located outside the Montreal Urban Community (MUC) have been open for all children. Students' attendance was not mandatory. Secondary schools have remained closed. Preschool and elementary schools located within the territory of the MUC were scheduled to reopen later in May, but the Quebec government kept them closed until September because of the continuing spread of COVID-19 in the region. Starting in September, all preschools, elementary and secondary schools are reopening all across Quebec. It will again be compulsory for all students to physically attend school. The only exception is for students with a health condition that makes them vulnerable (e.g., chronic disease, severe immunodeficiency). They may choose not to return to school and instead be taught remotely (a doctor's note will be required). The announcement of the reopening of the schools was made by the Minister of Education Jean-François Roberge on June 16. Preschool, Elementary School and Secondary I, II and IIIAll students in preschool, elementary school and Secondary I, II and III will attend class full-time, This is to be done without modifying existing student/teacher ratios. This means that the teachers' demand for fewer students per class has been dismissed under the hoax that it is not necessary because classes will be divided into "bubbles" or subgroups with a maximum of six students in each. Students will work within these subgroups without distancing constraints. There will be a physical distancing rule of one metre between subgroups. A physical distancing rule of two metres will apply between students and staff. While teachers will move between classrooms to teach their subject, students will remain in the same classroom. All subjects will be taught, including Physical Education and Health and Arts Education. There will be modified access to common areas, while respecting disinfection and distancing measures in gymnasiums, music rooms, cafeterias, etc. Secondary IV and VFor the last two years of secondary school, two options are available to school service centres which replace the school boards which were abolished by Bill 40, legislation adopted under closure in February: Option 1: 100 per cent of students present in schools full-time. This option is based on the model used for students in Secondary I, II and III, who are attending school full-time and are organized into subgroups of a maximum of six students. The physical distancing rules are the same. The students belonging to a subgroup work without distancing constraints. For the rest, the current physical distancing rules apply (1 metre between students and 2 metres between students and school staff). The staff move between rooms to teach a subject. There is modified access to common areas, while respecting disinfection and distancing measures (gymnasium, music rooms, cafeteria, science laboratories, etc.) The entire curriculum is taught. Option 2: Modifying schedules and reducing time at school to allow for optional courses to continue. Optional courses are those specific to students who are preparing for college. Students have to be present in school as often as possible, but usually no less than 50 per cent of the time. Subgroups of a maximum of six students are maintained, with no distancing rules within the subgroups. There is compliance with the current physical distancing rules (one metre between student subgroups and two metres between students and school staff). All subjects are taught. Homework is assigned for days on which the students are not in the classroom. Online learning resources and pedagogical activities outside regular school rooms are emphasized. Increased hygiene measures are being implemented (similar to the ones established in the preschool and elementary school sector outside of the Greater Montreal area on May 11) such as: handwashing at the beginning and end of the day, before and after meals, and before and after breaks and recess periods. Face masks are to be worn by preschool teachers and staff members working with students with disabilities and by staff in close contact with students during interventions. No general use of masks and face coverings is planned but reusable face coverings will be provided to school staff who request them. There will be increased janitorial services in schools. For those students who are eligible to be transported by school bus, a one metre distance between students will have to be maintained, which means one student per seat. According to education workers and their organizations this back-to-school plan imposed by the Minister of Education on June 16 for the 1,216,791 students in Quebec's elementary and secondary school system raises more questions than it answers. "Imposed" is the right term, as the 107,000 teachers in Quebec and the two organizations that represent them -- the Federation of Teachers' Unions (FSE-CSQ) and the Autonomous Teachers' Federation (FAE) -- were not consulted on what it should be. The main aspect of Minister Roberge's plan, "bubbles" or subgroups of a maximum of six students, was communicated to union representatives the day before the announcement. Teachers were quick to point out that their experience in opening preschool and elementary schools outside the MUC should have been taken into account in the plan. The teachers, in the midst of the pandemic, went back to classroom teaching on May 11. Because attendance was not mandatory, class sizes were reduced by almost half, and everyone -- teachers, students and parents -- saw the benefits, both in terms of health protection and academic support. Teachers and school staff are calling for this positive experience to be reflected in the government's plan, especially since reducing the student/teacher ratio has been one of their demands for almost 20 years. If funding and human and material resources are not forthcoming, it is not possible to talk about a safe return to school, concerning either students' and education workers' health or the quality of teaching, say teachers. The FAE had to issue a formal demand for access to data on reported cases of infection in schools that opened on May 11 outside the MUC. A government plan to reopen schools without the facts and without taking into account the direct experience of those who work with students every day demonstrates that the government is not serving the interests of public education, say the teachers.
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