The Association for the Teaching of Science and Technology in Quebec (AESTQ) denounces the “total delirium” of certain school service centers which have decided to close their doors on April 8 due to the expected solar eclipse That day. Other schools have taken the initiative of providing protective glasses to their students and making this day a unique educational experience.
“For us, it is total madness to close schools during the eclipse. It’s like the end of the world is about to happen. I feel in a Tintin », bluntly launches the general director of the AESTQ, Camille Turcotte, when contacted by The duty Wednesday.
In recent weeks, several school service centers have announced that they will close their doors on April 8, when a total solar eclipse will be observed. Until now, there are at least ten school service centers (CSS) in Quebec which will not open that day, according to a partial compilation produced by the association and sent to the Duty Wednesday. These CSSs particularly highlighted the risk that a solar eclipse can pose to the eye health of children if they do not use certified protective glasses.
“Given the time slot during which the eclipse will take place, it is impossible for us to meet our obligation to provide adequate supervision to all our students in order to avoid the risks associated with unsafe observation of this phenomenon », justified the CSS de la Rivière-du-Nord on its website.
“A missed opportunity”
However, “depriving students of this experience goes against the fundamental objectives of education, which aim to stimulate curiosity, wonder and discovery of the world around us”, deplores the non-profit association , by press release.
She recalls that a solar eclipse is a “rare astronomical phenomenon”, which represents a unique opportunity to educate young people on this subject. The next total solar eclipse over eastern Canada will not occur until 2079.
“It remains a minority of school service centers which have announced their closure, but we fear a ripple effect, that’s why we are doing this outing,” explains Mme Turcotte, in interview. She is also saddened to note that the organization À la Découverte de l’Univers had provided more than 35,000 pairs of protective glasses to teachers in Laval so that they could distribute them to their students on the day of eclipse. However, the latter will ultimately have to stay at home, deplores Camille Turcotte, since the CSS de Laval has made April 8 an educational day. This will also be the case for the CSS des Hauts-Cantons, in Estrie, the CSS de la Rivière-du-Nord, in the Laurentides, as well as the CSS des Portages-de-l’Outaouais, among others.
“Teachers want schools to stay open; many have already bought glasses and now they are having the rug pulled out from under them,” says M.me Turcotte, who sees this as a “missed opportunity” to offer an incomparable educational experience to students.
The AESTQ also reminds that a solar eclipse poses no risk as long as you wear protective glasses when observing it. “Students, and even toddlers, are able to understand this simple rule,” notes Camille Turcotte, who also deplores the lack of action from Quebec to prevent school closures on April 8.
“I would have liked elected officials and civil servants at the Ministry of Education to seize this opportunity, but that was not the case,” she sighs.
At the beginning of the month, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, encouraged schools to remain open on the day of the solar eclipse, while calling on them to ensure that they properly supervise their students and provide them with Protective glasses.
Schools are adapting
Other schools, such as those of the CSS des Laurentides, preferred to keep their classes open and provide protective glasses to all students and staff so that they could appreciate this rare phenomenon in an “educational and safe manner”. , according to a communication intended for parents of students at this school service center. Parents will, however, have to ensure their children’s return home, since no school transport will be provided at the end of this school day, during which no exam will take place to facilitate its progress.
The Montreal CSS also announced that its schools will be open. The Montreal Planetarium will also distribute 95,000 pairs of glasses free of charge to students and staff of the school service center establishments. The CSS de la Pointe-de-l’Île will also remain open, as will the CSS Marie-Victorin, on the South Shore of the Montreal region, as well as the CSS des Hautes-Laurentides, among others.