30% student absenteeism pushes South Island school to the brink
Many families are relieved to have their kids back at school, but after just eight days back, it's already clear that in person learning may not last at all schools across Vancouver Island.
At École John Stubbs Memorial School in the Sooke School District, absenteeism amongst students was at 30 per cent Wednesday, compared to the district’s average this week of 16 per cent, or the average of seven per cent last year.
Not all of those current absences are due to illness, but many are. The school hasn’t been ordered closed yet, but the district’s Supt. Scott Stinson says it’s planning to bring in extra custodians to keep it especially sanitized.
“We certainly are treating this very seriously,” said Stinson Wednesday. “At this point, the advice we have from public health, from the (medical health officer), is the school is not at the point where we would need to close it.”
A handful of schools across B.C. have already been temporarily closed to in-person learning due to a shortage of staff. On Wednesday, two schools in Abbotsford were closed for the week.
No such closures have happened in Vancouver Island yet, but the chair of the Sooke School District, Ravi Parmar, says he is very concerned that a shortage of custodians and bus drivers might trigger a functional closure.
“We have a couple positions that we’re very, very short on, and can’t rely on extras for — one is bus drivers and the other is custodians,” said Parmar. “I’m very nervous on the custodian and bus driver front."
Meanwhile, in Victoria, where student attendance was close to normal for the first week back, Winona Waldron, the president of the Greater Victoria Teachers' Association, worries new guidance that students and staff can return to school once their symptoms largely clear up may lead to the spread of COVID-19 cases in schools. She thinks a closure for some classes is likely in the coming weeks.
“Unless numbers, COVID numbers in the community significantly decrease, I think we're likely to see some sort of closure,” she said Wednesday.
There’s no specific threshold for when health authorities or school districts would close a school for in-person learning and shift online, but the districts say they’re pulling out all the stops to keep kids in the classroom.
“Prior to us having to do a functional closure, we would have to deploy every teacher that we have in the school district — that would include associate superintendents (and) myself,” said Stinson, who, like many, hopes the district can ride out the worst of this wave and keep students in the classroom.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.