Sudbury Catholic school board polling parents, students about online learning for fall

Right now, students across Sudbury are learning virtually because of the high number of COVID-19 cases in the community.

Most hope things can get back to normal by the time the new school year rolls around in September. However, some school boards are currently seeking input on what the fall could look like.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is asking parents and students if they would choose online learning as an option for their child in the next school year.

"No one knows what September will look like," says Chantal Rancourt,president of the Sudbury elementary unitwith the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA).

"I know that the board is trying to be proactive just to get an idea of what parents are looking for," she said.

"I don't think [the board is] trying to assume that virtual schools are a permanent part of education by any means."

She understands why the school board is asking for the feedback right now.

"It's our staffing season, and the board is trying to be proactive just to get an idea of what parents are looking for," she said.

"I honestly believe the only reason it is being given as an option is not knowing where our community will stand in the face of the pandemic come September."

Time to plan

Maurizio De Poli, president of the Sudbury secondary unit of OECTA, also feels that circumstances could change by the fall.

"Hopefully we won't need virtual learning," he said.

De Poli agrees that this is a good time for the school board to be asking parents and students about options for the fall. He saidplanning now means teachers won't be left scrambling just before school starts.

"We had teachers going in in August to make adjustments to students' timetables and cohorts, et cetera. That makes it more difficult when you're trying to make those adjustments on the fly, last minute," De Poli said.

"If you're able to look at that now you can probably get things set up better than the way things were set up this year. Not that they were bad, it's just they could be better," he added.

Benefits to in-person classroom learning

However De Poli still feels remote or online learning is not an ideal environment for students to learn.

"As a parent I know I would never choose virtual for my kids, and I even think my children would never want to be doing virtual," he said

"[The students] don't get the same type of experience when they're trying to do these [classes] virtually; they don't have the same hands-on experience that many of our students need in order for them to succeed."

Rancourt says there are numerous benefits for both students and teachers when it comes to in-person classroom learning.

"When you're dealing with someone face-to-face, right in front of you, the interaction is a lot more natural than trying to interact through technology with 20 or 30 students," she said.

There is also social and emotional learning that takes place in schools through interactions and conversations with peers or small groups.

"You can't replicate face-to-face learning through a screen," Rancourt said.

Board, Ministry response

In a statement, the Sudbury District Catholic School Board said theformsent to parents and guardians is to assist with planning.

"While we do not yet know what the expectations will be for September with respect to remote learning, the information will be helpful in being prepared for the various scenarios. We are hopeful to receive Ministry of Education direction in the coming months."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson with the OntarioMinistry of Education told CBCNews it "will continue to provide school boards with public health guidance, financial resources and additional capacity to deliver in-class and online learning within our public schools.

"We will continue to follow the best advice of medical experts and collaborate with all partners to ensure student success, mental health and choice is preserved for students and their families."