Eclipse casts opportunity vs. safety debate over schools

The decision by school administrators in eastern Ontario to cancel classesthe day of a rare solar eclipsehas some asking whether they'remissing out onan equally rare teaching moment.

As the moonalignsbetween the Earthand the sun, an eclipse will sweep across the Ottawa Valley and Quebec between 2:11 and 4:35 p.m. April 8.

Some placessuch as Cornwall and Kingston will see atotal eclipse around 3:20 p.m.

Areas further north such as Ottawa will just miss out on this "totality."

Many school boards across eastern Ontariowill keep students home after rescheduling a PD day toApril8.

Ottawa's largest board, however, said it didn't have a development day to move and it's going to cancel classes.

The celestial eventcoincides with the usual dismissal time for students, explained the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB).

Other boards expressed concerns with school bus safety.

Outside one Ottawa school last month, parents reacted to questions about the decision with surprise, asking if it was an April Fool's joke.

There have been othervocal critics who say the idle schools represent a lost opportunity some of them from within the school system.

• THIS IS OTTAWA |Is it necessary to close Ottawa schools for the solar eclipse?

"I don't think it's necessary for schools to close during the eclipse," said OCDSBtrustee Lyra Evans, calling it amissed opportunity to guide students through a rare, live and dazzling scientific experience.

"Instead of doing that we're sending kids home saying''I hope you don't look at the sun.'"

She said it reflected a culture of risk aversion that has taken hold in many public institutions.

Last month Mike Wyseman, the president of Municipal Risk Services,said the risk of liability tied to a partial solar eclipse would be "minimal at best."

OntarioEducation MinisterStephen Leccehas also been critical of the decision.

He said closing schools would reduce the ability of a child "to learn in a dynamic way about science and astronomy and exciting things that are happening."

Retinal risk

Space journalist Elizabeth Howell said while the opportunity to participate in a major astronomicaleventsuch as an eclipse or a comet can galvanize a young mind, she understoodthe stance of school boards.

Staring directly at the sun during an eclipse can cause serious eye damage, she said.

That damage is oftenimperceptibleat firstsince the retina has no sensitivity to painand since the effects of retinal damage may not appear for hours.

Howell fondly recalled a day in 1994 when teachers drew the curtains and cancelled recess to prevent students from looking at a solar eclipse.

The workings of the celestial clockmean accommodating this year's solar event is more challenging, she acknowledged.

Saferviewing

Despite the school closures,Ottawa'sCanada Aviation and Space Museumwill throw open the doors of an aircraft hangar to host an eclipse viewing event.

The popularity of asimilar event for a partial eclipse in 2017 caught organizers off guard, drawing thousands when only hundreds of sky-watchers had been expected.

This time, Cassandra Marion, the science advisor at the museum, said they would be prepared andready to provide free eclipse viewing glasses with admission, along with educational activities and crafts for children.