The Ministry of Education is ending virtual education that had been offered for two years to hundreds of students vulnerable to infection with the COVID-19 virus. Quebec relies on the end of the state of health emergency to justify the return to class of all elementary and secondary students, even those with a chronic illness or whose immune system is weakened.
This decision was transmitted last week to the school service centers by the Deputy Minister of Education, Alain Sans Cartier. The directive repeals a May 2022 ministerial order which, among other things, ordered schools to teach students remotely whose “state of health or that of a person with whom they reside puts them at risk of serious complications if they contract the virus. COVID-19”. A doctor’s paper was required to be entitled to virtual teaching.
The Ministry of Education considers it to be in the best interests of children to return to school attendance, our sources say. Students come to class not only for learning, but also to socialize. In some cases, the school is also a social safety net that can detect children experiencing a difficult situation at home.
If I was the parent of a vulnerable child, I would be concerned. I would need to be reassured.
This obligation to return to class remains unknown in the school network – the start of the school year will take place in the coming days – but concerns the Federation of Parents’ Committees of Quebec (FCPQ), which is calling for clarifications from the Ministry of Education.
“If I was the parent of a vulnerable child, I would be concerned. I need to be reassured”, declared Kévin Roy, president of the FCPQ. Parents are entitled to wonder why distance education was appropriate for two years for children vulnerable to COVID-19, but class attendance is now becoming mandatory, he says.
Protective measures
Kévin Roy maintains that the guidelines surrounding the virtual school “lack clarity”. He calls for a policy that would regulate distance education by taking into account the advantages and disadvantages for all students. He would be reassured if Public Health had recommended the end of virtual teaching for students vulnerable to COVID-19.
Asked about this, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) told the To have to that Public Health had not produced an opinion specifically on the end of distance learning. Robert Maranda, spokesperson for the MSSS, referred us to a page of guidelines for “persons with a chronic illness or with a weakened immune system, including children, as well as their loved ones”.
These vulnerable people “must make sure to respect the basic health instructions at all times; minimize contact; avoid public places; otherwise, wear a mask or face covering,” says the MSSS.
“Regardless of age, additional protective measures may be required for workers with chronic disease or weakened immune systems. For example, promoting remote work from home or rigorously applying preventive measures specific to certain workplaces if teleworking is impossible, ”adds the Ministry of Health.
Exempt staff
Students must return to class, but school staff can still be excused from attending school for medical reasons confirmed by a doctor.
“It is up to the school service centers to determine the terms and conditions applying to personnel vulnerable to COVID-19, in accordance with the current recommendations made by the Direction générale de santé publique, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) and the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST),” said Bryan St-Louis, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education.
The INSPQ describes the health problems that make people vulnerable to infection with the COVID-19 virus (chronic kidney, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases; liver, kidney, heart or lung transplants; cancer; and many others ).
“It is important to emphasize that this notice is intended as a reference tool to support physicians in assessing an individual’s vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 and the additional protective measures recommended in the workplace. Consequently, the judgment of the attending physician regarding the patient’s vulnerability remains essential and should take precedence,” specifies the INSPQ.
Another change compared to the last school year: the measure which provided for the closure of a class if 60% of its students were positive for COVID-19 has been abolished. In the network, we are awaiting details on everything relating to class closures and on the monitoring of the learning of isolated students in the event of infection.
Other criteria for the virtual
The Ministry of Education explains that virtual school remains possible for some students, but only as part of a pilot project which runs from September 2021 to June 2024. This type of distance education is not intended for students exempted for medical reasons, but rather children “who do not fit the usual mould” of the school.
According to the latest news, 3,500 students took part in this project, which is part of the Legault government’s digital action plan. Parents must demonstrate that the virtual school is the best solution for their children due to a series of circumstances: bullying, serious anxiety, behavioral or learning disorders, autism, giftedness, distance from major centers or participation in sports-study or arts-study programs requiring regular absences from class.