Kathleen Eisler from Regina, and three of her children, seen here on Dec. 12, 2020, are home from school doing remote learning since schools are on lockdown until Jan. 11, 2021.When Regina parent Kathleen Eisler learned her children’s school would close to in-class instruction this week, the only emotion she felt was relief.
However, as the pandemic caseload in communities increases, educators and doctors worry how this will affect classrooms and what it could mean for the academic year. Further, the school division has been concerned about not having enough substitute teachers to fill in the gaps when classroom teachers are absent. It recorded more than 8,400 employee absence days so far this academic year, 24 per cent more than at this point in a typical year.“There’s no doubt that this interruption will have some negative connotations for learning. But we are hoping that by doing this interruption that we will be able to return full time in January,” Mr. Enion said.
Jerome Cranston, dean of education at the University of Regina, said that unlike the spring, when schools shut down abruptly, this temporary closing has been better planned. Many families and educators are more familiar with online learning tools.