The head of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board says the ongoing situation with COVID-19 is like nothing he’s seen before in his educational career.
Director of Education Sean Monteith was a guest on CJBQ’s Lorne Brooker Show on Wednesday and discussed the ongoing school closures, in the wake of the pandemic.
Monteith says the uncertainty of the situation is what makes it so difficult and a full cancellation of the school year “is not beyond the realm of possibility”.
He added the board is trying to follow the advice from government and healthcare officials moving forward.
Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board Director of Education Sean Monteith. (Photo: David Foot / Quinte News)
With students being out of school for weeks and no sign of classes resuming any time soon, Monteith and his staff have been trying to work through the process, without knowing what’s ahead.
He says the entire process is taking a toll on teachers, as well as parents and students.
He says the board’s focus during the pandemic has shifted to helping students and families as best as they can outside the classroom.
When it comes to what parents should do for their kids in the meantime, Monteith says the Provincial Government is reacting the best way it can, by putting educational resources online for students, but online learning in this instance does pose some challenges.
Monteith noted that online learning resources put out by the school board this week have been very popular so far, but they’ve also identified some service gaps, especially when it comes to families who don’t have internet access.
He added that for now, there is one easy way for parents to keep their kids learning, along with keeping a schedule and structure to the day.
Monteith mentioned some good news regarding the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and the Provincial Government reaching a tentative deal about a week ago and says at the end of the day, the priority is to keep students and their families safe.
You can listen to the full interview with Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board Director of Education Sean Monteith here:
