Newfoundland schools will switch to online learning effective January 4. This will be evaluated every Thursday by our government health officials.

This has left parents who work scrambling to find daycare solutions.

Some will include turning to their aging parents; the vulnerable population we are supposed to protect from this virus.

They may also be placing their children with kids of different age groups in different communities...outside of their school cohorts. This will increase their risk of exposure.

If they are lucky enough to find daycare for their child, daycares are not equipped to provide a classroom atmosphere to the children they watch.

Not to mention the cost of daycare and the logistics of getting them there.

Some parents will have to take a leave of absence from work to provide their children a classroom at home.

Kids in daycare or alternate child care, such as grandparents, will be deprived of education. Parents will do the best they can, but there will always be distractions. A home is not a classroom.

Teachers with children will find it difficult to teach from home while providing at home learning and care to their own children.

Our children will also miss out on socialization with their friends. They will fall behind academically and, depending how long they are out of school, it may take some of them several months or years to get back on track.

If we don't take a stand against this now then we have no right to complain about it later.

We are calling on Andrew Furey, John Haggie, Janice Fitzgerald and Tony Stack to keep schools open for in person learning.

Recommendation:

Throughout the world schools have been giving parents the choice.

If parents wish to keep their children home, they can opt for online learning.

Those parents who wish to keep their children in school can opt for in person learning.

Teachers will teach to the children in class while having the rest of the class on zoom.

This provides a win win for parents and students.

Please sign this petition to keep Newfoundland schools open to provide proper education.

Our children depend on it!