With the new coronavirus still wreaking havoc in Canada, there’s no clear answer on when students will return to classrooms — but questions surround how they might reopen once the call is made.
Lessons about “what to do and what not to do” could be taken from places like Denmark, according to Charles Pascal, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
How schools in Denmark will look now
Denmark relaxed some of its strict coronavirus lockdown measures this week, allowing preschool to fifth-grade students to return to classes. The remaining grades are expected to return by April 20.
The students are not returning to the status quo. In order to comply with national sanitary guidelines, classrooms have been reorganized and redesigned. Desks have been placed two metres apart and recesses are staggered for small groups at a time.
While gatherings of 10 or more people are still banned across the country, teachers are expected to ensure students are never in groups of more than two either inside or outside.
One school has chosen to divide classes into groups to limit the total number of students in one classroom to 12, Danish paper The Local reported.
In Taiwan, school was never out amid the pandemic. Heightened measures like temperature checks at points-of-entry and plastic dividers between desks keep students separated and in-check.
Closures at the present time in Canada are the right move, Pascal said, but he emphasized that there is room to plan ahead.
“Right now, teachers, students and their parents need to settle in with remote learning the very best they can while others plan ahead for how schools might open next Fall,” he said. “But we shouldn’t underestimate what will be required for a post COVID-19 world in our classrooms.”
But many of those questions remain unanswered in Canada.
1:01 Coronavirus outbreak: Horgan says preliminary talks underway to discuss reopening of schools
Coronavirus outbreak: Horgan says preliminary talks underway to discuss reopening of schools
Schools across Canada gradually began shutting their doors in mid-March. Ontario and Quebec expect them to remain closed until well into May. In British Columbia and Alberta, schools have been closed until further notice. New Brunswick has entirely cancelled the remainder of the school year.
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Students, teachers and parents have kept studies going from a distance with e-learning, but it’s been no easy task.
Eventually, schools will have to be open — but how?
Without no further directives from public health and provincial education ministries other than to remain closed, school boards have their hands tied.
A spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board said it’s too soon to speculate what it would look like or if it would even come into play during the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
If reshuffled classrooms were part of the plan, school capacities could get in the way, according to the Peel District School Board in Ontario.
“This would be a challenge in many Peel schools,” said Carla Pereira, a spokesperson for the PDSB, which serves approximately 154,000 kindergarten to grade 12 students in the municipalities of Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga.
“We’re setting at or near capacity,” she continued, “so there wouldn’t be open classrooms to move students into.”
Premier Doug Ford touched on the topic Thursday, calling any possible protocols for reopened schools “premature.”
Both Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce pointed to those decisions being dependent on the advice of Ontario’s chief medical officer.
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“[We] are committed to communicating a plan that prioritizes the safety of students and the continuity of learning,” Lecce said in a statement to Global News.
B.C.’s Ministry of Education also said it will follow the guidance of health officials on when and how to open schools.
In an email statement to Global News, the provincial ministry said its planning will be guided by four principles: health and safety of students, families and employees, providing services to support essential workers, having adequate support for students who need special assistance, and providing continuity of educational opportunities for students.
In Alberta, where schools have been closed until further notice, the province’s chief medical officer of health said the decision to reopen them will be made in conjunction with other lifted restrictions.
None of that will be feasible until data reflects an improvement, she said.
“Returning to school will be a very big decision,” Hinshaw told reporters.
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“Schools are not unique. We will be considering reopening schools along with all other segments of the economy and the timing of that and the planning of that will be an integrated part of that relaunch strategy.”
1:43 Alberta students, parents adjust to class work being done online due to COVID-19
Alberta students, parents adjust to class work being done online due to COVID-19
When Alberta does get to that point, Hinshaw suggested public health could consider mask-wearing in schools.
“We would absolutely be continuing to emphasize regular hand-washing and keeping anyone whose ill home,” she said. “We’ve been talking about increased use of mask-wearing when people aren’t able to be further apart than two metres of each other, so that would be something we’d need to talk through with respect to schools.”
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Discussions will be had over the coming weeks, she said, to ensure “clear direction to schools,” but Alberta is “not at that point yet.”
“They’re just considerations,” she said.
Unions say staffing, funding key
But these protocols need to be top of mind sooner than later, said Laura Walton, the President of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions.
“We get that we’re in the heat of it right now, but you do have to have a plan to get out of it,” she told Global News.
Walton said there were a number of “inadequacies” at schools in Ontario prior to the pandemic that won’t be resolved by “getting back to normal.”
“Normal is not where we want to go back to. We have to have a better normal,” she said. “That means putting adequate staffing and resources in place so, for example, our custodial and maintenance team can provide safe and clean schools. That wasn’t even happening prior to the pandemic.”
Funding to maintain staffing to meet new protocols will be key, she said. CUPE is working with the ministry on “supported COVID-19 response” to issues like custodial services, learning resources, and instructional support.
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“We look to the ministry for provincial guidelines on how each school board will be able to pull out of this,” she said.
“Because we will pull out of this pandemic. So what are we ready to put forward to ensure we’re in a better place.”
MILAN (AP) — Bologna’s preparations for its Champions League debut are not going well though it managed to spoil Como’s first Serie A home match in 21 years on Saturday.
Bologna came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw to gather three points from its opening four matches.
Bologna hosts Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Its only other appearance in Europe’s top competition was in 1964 in the preliminary round of the old European Cup.
AC Milan is also winless as it prepares for a Tuesday Champions League match against Liverpool. The Rossoneri hosted promoted Venezia later. Juventus drew at Empoli 0-0.
Como made a great start in the fifth minute when Patrick Cutrone attempted to roll the ball across the six-yard box but it took a huge deflection off Bologna defender Nicolò Casale for an own goal.
Bologna thought it was gifted a way back into the match on the stroke of halftime when referee Marco Piccinini signalled for a penalty following an Alberto Moreno handball, but he revoked his decision and instead gave a free kick because the handball was just outside the area.
Bologna improved after the break but found itself further behind when Cutrone raced onto a through ball and cut inside past a defender and fired into the far bottom corner.
Tommaso Pobega hit the post for Bologna, which finally pulled one back in the 76th through substitute Santiago Castro.
Another substitute helped the visitors snatch a point when Samuel Iling-Junior curled a fine strike into the top left corner in stoppage time.
Unbeaten sides
Juventus, and more surprisingly Empoli, are among six unbeaten sides.
Empoli held Monza and Bologna to draws either side of a shock 2-1 win at Roma. Juventus’ perfect start to the season was ruined by Roma in a goalless draw before the international break.
On Saturday, there were few clearcut chances in Empoli although home goalkeeper Devis Vásquez made spectacular saves to fingertip out a Federico Gatti header and deny Dusan Vlahovic in a one on one with the Juventus forward.
Empoli had a good opportunity in the 73rd minute following an Alberto Grassi one-two with Pietro Pellegri but the finish was straight at Mattia Perin.
The host could have won it right at the death but Gatti flew in with a great sliding block to keep out Emanuel Gyasi’s close-range effort.
Juventus hosts PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Not good enough. That was Arne Slot’s verdict after his first defeat as Liverpool manager on Saturday.
A shock 1-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League ended Slot’s perfect record since succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Anfield at the end of last season.
“We had a lot of ball possession but only managed to create three (or) four quite good chances, so that is by far not enough if you have so much ball possession,” said the Dutchman, who suggested his team should not be losing to the likes of Forest.
“If you lose a home game it’s always a setback, especially if you face a team … we never know, maybe they will go all the way to fight for Champions League tickets, but normally this team is not ending up in the top 10, so if you lose a game against them that’s a big disappointment.”
Slot won his first three games in charge, including a memorable 3-0 victory against Manchester United before the international break.
But that run came to an end after Callum Hudson-Odoi struck in the 72nd with a curling effort from the edge of the box and beyond goalkeeper Alisson.
Liverpool’s defeat leaves Manchester City as the only team with a 100% record in the league after a 2-1 win against Brentford kept the defending champion at the top of the table.
United won at Southampton 3-0 to end its two-game losing streak.
Unstoppable Haaland
Erling Haaland moved to 99 goals for City after scoring twice against Brentford.
The Norwegian’s double came after Yoane Wissa fired Brentford ahead with just 22 seconds on the clock.
Haaland scored his 98th and 99th goals in his 103rd City appearance in all competitions. And he was the width of the post away from his third consecutive hat trick after trebles against Ipswich and West Ham.
“He’s been really, really good. Yeah, I would say he’s the best (he’s been), but it’s only four fixtures (this season),” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Haaland, who has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, has nine goals in four league games. He has topped the league scoring charts in each of his two seasons at City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for $63 million.
Haaland’s first goal after 19 minutes evened the game following Wissa’s opener, which stunned the Etihad Stadium crowd. Haaland turned and swept a shot past goalkeeper Mark Flekken after a slight deflection off Ethan Pinnock.
He was then too strong for Pinnock when shaking off the defender and running through for his second in the 32nd.
He was inches away in the 81st; the shot came back off the post after beating the keeper.
Rashford snaps run
Marcus Rashford snapped a 12-game barren run in front of goal as United beat Southampton.
Rashford doubled United’s lead at Saint Mary’s after Matthijs de Ligt’s scored his first for the club. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho scored a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The win came after back-to-back defeats for United.
Rashford hadn’t scored since March in United’s win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals. He curled in a shot from the edge of the area to put Erik ten Hag’s team 2-0 up at Southampton in the 41st minute.
Ten Hag said it could be a turning point for the forward.
“For every striker, they want to be on the scoring list. Once the first is in, more is coming. Like a ketchup bottle, once it’s going, it’s coming more,” he said.
De Ligt, who joined United from Bayern Munich in the offseason, headed in from Bruno Fernandes’ cross in the 35th.
It could have been a different story if Cameron Archer converted a penalty for Southampton in the 33rd. Instead, his effort was saved by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Newly promoted Southampton was reduced to 10 men when Jack Stephens was sent off in the 79th for a high challenge on Garnacho.
Villa comeback
After three straight defeats to start the league, Everton looked set for its first win when leading Aston Villa 2-0.
Goals from Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Sean Dyche’s team in control until Ollie Watkins struck twice to even the game.
Jhon Duran completed Villa’s comeback and sealed a 3-2 win in the 76th to leave Everton rooted to the bottom of the table and the only top flight team without a point.
Late drama
Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a stoppage time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for Crystal Palace against Leicester.
Leicester led 2-0 at Selhurst Park after goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi.
But Mateta sparked Palace’s response with a goal in the 47th, a minute after Mavididi doubled Leicester’s advantage.
Conor Coady fouled Ismaili Sarr in the box right near fulltime and Mateta was cool enough to convert.
West Ham left it even later to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Danny Ings struck in the fifth minute of added time after Raul Jimenez’s goal looked like earning Fulham the win.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, the manager of the month for August, was frustrated as his team was held to 0-0 at home by Ipswich.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
