The largest virtual school in Quebec, which welcomes students from 29 school service centers, has the wind in its sails. The demand for online education is so high that voices are being raised in favor of parents’ free choice to educate their children in person or remotely, regardless of their state of health.
Currently, only children with a medical condition that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19 (or who have a vulnerable parent) can take their courses remotely. This requires a doctor’s note. But depending on what The duty has learned, the pressure is increasing for parents to choose online education even for perfectly healthy children.
The rise of the Omicron variant is spurring interest in distance schooling, but the demand was there before this new surge in COVID-19 cases. A virtual school created by the Hautes-Rivières School Service Center (CSSDHR), in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, is thus arousing the enthusiasm of parents. This online school brings together more than 250 elementary and secondary students from all regions of Quebec.
Dozens of these children have not set foot in a school since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. These students have adapted to their new life entirely from a distance, according to testimonies collected by The duty. “It works very well. Last year, we saw continued success and even a slight increase in results for our virtual school students, ”says André-Paul Bouchard, director of Saint-Jacques school, whose students benefit from the Service. virtual schooling of the CSSDHR.
Like all service centers, the CSSDHR offers distance education to children with a doctor’s note. Due to the limited number of students, it was necessary to group together children of different levels with the same teacher. It was not ideal. To form complete groups at each level of primary and secondary, the CSSDHR had the idea of offering its virtual services to all service centers; 28 of them, from all regions of Quebec, have answered the call and are sending students to this online school.
It is a formal “school”, with fifteen teachers (six in elementary school, nine in secondary school), remedial and psychoeducational services, a secretary and other staff. The pupils follow the same educational program as those who study in the presence. They also get assessed. They have a schedule to adhere to.
The virtual school is such a success that the CSSDHR offers to offer it to all parents who want it, even if their children are in good health. “We are challenged by several parents who would like this solution. We think it would suit the needs of many children, ”says André-Paul Bouchard.
Health first
Sophie Roy is one of the parents enchanted by distance school. Her two youngest children, asthmatics, have been attending the CSSDHR virtual school since the start of the pandemic. They have not set foot in a “real” school since March 2020.
“We think we made the right choices. Health for us is priceless, ”says the mother of four.
The pandemic has transformed the daily life of this Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu family. Sophie Roy and her husband operated a family day care service. When the pandemic broke, five toddlers in their care had high fevers. In view of the asthma from which three of the children of the family as well as the father suffer, the couple decided to close the day care service.
Dad has found a new job. The mother stays at home to supervise the virtual education of her two elementary-aged boys. “You have to be there as a parent. We can’t leave them alone at that age, they need supervision, ”says Sophie Roy.
The two boys adapted without difficulty to their new life. The youngest, Vincent (in 4e year), is still looking forward to playing “in person” with his friends. As for Herman (in 6e year), his virtual friends are enough for him for the moment. He plays network video games. He also launched his YouTube channel.
“It’s really cool, the virtual school. I have as many friends as I have at school, and I have more time to ‘gamer’, ”says Herman.
As a bonus, there is no doubt about the quality of the air in the house, underlines Sophie Roy. And the family is escaping class closures hit by COVID-19 outbreaks.
An exciting project
Professor Isabelle Forget, from Valleyfield, confirms that students are adapting “tremendously” to distance education. She has never regretted her choice to join the virtual school, which was strongly advised by her doctor for health reasons.
“I would never have thought of finding myself in virtual teaching. When we started last year, I didn’t know anything about it. But it’s so motivating that I will continue as long as it is possible, ”she says.
She witnesses daily “little miracles”: struggling students who end up succeeding. Formerly anxious children who are comfortable in front of their screens. Parents are committed to the success of their children. She has time to devote individually to each of her 23 students. One of the challenges is to limit working time: he sometimes answers students’ questions in the evening.
“We have a strong sense of belonging. I have the impression that we are building something important. If my adult children were in elementary or secondary school, I would be the first to send them to virtual school, ”says Isabelle Forget.
Interactions, the direct link with their teachers and all staff, as well as their friends, play an essential role in their development and success. School is also an important social safety net.
A necessary presence
The Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, says he is sensitive to the arguments of parents, but he remains focused on compulsory class attendance, except obviously for periods, such as at the beginning of January, when Public Health recommends distance education.
The Association of Paediatricians and Public Health judge that “the dangers associated with not attending school [sont] more important, for children, than those linked to COVID-19 ”, argues Florent Tanlet, press secretary of the minister.
“Interactions, the direct link with their teachers and all staff, as well as their friends, play an essential role in their development and their success. School is also an important social safety net, ”he adds.
Steve Bissonnette, professor in the Education Department at TELUQ, believes that the minister is making the right decision by requiring attendance in class as long as Public Health allows. Virtual education is a “solution of last resort” to be implemented only in the event of a crisis, he warns.
Scientific studies show beyond any doubt that children all over the world have suffered from distance education since the start of the pandemic. More importantly, the virtual schools set up for twenty years in the United States are a “disaster”, according to him.
“The United States has been trying virtual school for twenty years and it hasn’t worked for twenty years,” says Steve Bissonnette. The graduation rate drops by 10% in virtual mode. Students fall behind five months a year in their learning. Isolation causes them to lose social skills and can lead to mental health problems.
“The longer the school is closed, the more serious the damage,” he says. The virtual school may be good for some, but science still concludes that it is negative on all fronts. “