Manitoba parents, schools ask for clarity from province on move to remote learning

As Manitoba schools gear up for a week of remote learning, questions are swirling from parents, teachers and administrators on how to make it work. 

The province announced Tuesday that schools will shift to remote learning until Jan. 17 to give school divisions time to address expected staffing shortages and put measures in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as distributing rapid tests and masks. 

The delay is also meant to give teaching staff time to get their booster shots. 

The province had already delayed the return to school after the winter break by a few days, until Jan. 10, to assess the impact of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Division officials say they're still seeking clarity from the province on a number of things. 

For one, they're not sure how the contact tracing process is supposed to work in schools moving forward, said Superintendent Brian O'Leary of the Seven Oaks School Division.

"If lots of folks are not getting tested and are just assuming they have it and staying home, you know … that's a question mark. Hopefully that's one of the things we'll iron out a bit next week," he said. 

O'Leary said the division is expecting substantial staff and student absences, so they're trying to figure out how to manage that. 

"Lots of people are getting infected, staying home, so there's a lot of contingencies for us to plan for and just figure out," he said. 

"But it's getting ready to open schools. It's not putting off the opening." 

They also have to get computers out to students who need them. About 3,000 went home to kids in the division last school year, which will have to be distributed again, he said. 

At Louis Riel School Division, officials are also looking for more details on various things like masking standards and how many rapid test kits will be distributed. They're also anticipating significant staffing shortages, says an email from the division's communications manager Taylor Fenn. 

Even with the delayed opening, Winnipeg teacher Kristjanna Oleson says it's not a lot of time to prepare. She said she wishes the province had been more proactive in addressing the Omicron surge. 

"Some of these things that they feel are being proactive, putting them into place days before is not proactivity. Proactivity is putting measures into place so that we know that the what-if scenarios will be dealt with," she said. 

She also wants to know if rapid tests will be sent home with teachers in addition to some students, since they are in contact with more people throughout the day. 

A spokesperson for the province said at this time, the kits are being distributed to students in Kindergarten to Grade 6, since those age groups have had limited access to vaccines.

"As more supply is received, decisions will be made on next steps including using community distribution sites to access tests for students and staff who are symptomatic and distributing test kits to use as part of cluster and outbreak management and/or when prevalence is high," the spokesperson said via email.

Stress for parents

For Christina Kelner, who has three kids under nine, it means she and her husband are scrambling to figure out child care. 

Kelner works as a paralegal while her husband works in construction. She says working from home isn't really an option for her since all her files are at the office. 

"So then it's an added expense for parents and we don't need that, it's already tough as it is," she said. 

"It's just hard mentally thinking about all this."

The switch is tough on her kids, too, she says. She said she's worried remote learning might be extended beyond a week, and would have preferred the province to close down non-essential businesses, like they have at other times during the pandemic. 

"I get it. People need a job and everything, and the economy is tough. But this is not good for our kids' mental health, either, they need to be around other kids, other people. And being stuck at home isn't good for them," she said.