The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board is seeking approval from the Ministry of Education to move a PA day from April 12 to April 8 so students aren't in school during a solar eclipse. This does a disservice to students by removing a central, organized viewing opportunity under the supervision of educators. This petition is proposed to be submitted to the Minister of Education (MPP S. Lecee) to ask him to work with boards to afford this opportunity to students.

Expanded details:

At it's public board meeting of November 27, 2023, The Hasting and Prince Edward Public School Board approved a motion to adjust the school year calendar by moving a professional activity day from April 12 to April 8, 2024. This has the effect of taking students out of school during a solar eclipse. The rationale presented at the board meeting was that as the period of totality for the eclipse happens during dismissal, student safety may be at risk.

The Hastings and Prince Edward Board is following the Limestone District School Board and the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board in this approach as all use the Tri-board Student Transportation service and seek to harmonize the instructional and non-instructional days.

Boards of education require Ministry of Education approval to alter school year calendars. This request is that Minister Lecee work with the school boards to find a way to keep students in the schools during this extraordinary event to promote the learning opportunity.

In 2017, students across the United States were treated to a similar sight. There is no shortage of material available for lessons that can help students understand the eclipse from historical, scientific, engineering, and artistic perspectives. The resources to view the eclipse do not need to involve an extreme financial burden to the board, schools, or educators. You can shadow cast the eclipse with the fingers of your hand. You can project it with a cardboard box. There will undoubtedly be live streams from NASA. There are Belleville and Kingston Chapters of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Discussions should be had with them for safe and economical viewing of this event.

Secondary schools are already dismissed before totality. Only elementary students are still in class. This event will be visible to students in Belleville, Napanee, Kingston, and Prince Edward County. The northern areas of the school boards (particularly Hastings) will only experience a partial eclipse. A board-wide policy impacts those who would otherwise not be impacted. The desire to coordinate between neighbouring school boards and the transportation service is understandable but there should be better solutions to provide this unique opportunity to our students. Toronto, Ottawa, and Peterborough won't be in the total path. Belleville, Kingston, Trenton, Napanee, and Picton will. 

Some media outlets have incorrectly reported that the entire 2 hours of the eclipse event (from the moment the Moon begins cover the disc of the Sun through totality to the end of contact) will be "virtual darkness." The duration of any noticeable darkness would be limited to a period shortly before and after the totality. During the solar eclipse of 2017, Belleville's magnitude (maximum coverage of the solar disk) was about 75% and that was barely noticeable. By leaning into the experience of members of the RASC or universities greater detail about when darkness will be deeper can be understood. Students are already on buses during twilight hours during the winter months. This cannot be so different.

This is being framed as being for the increased safety of students. We trust our own survival instinct and that of our children not to look at the sun any other day. Which is safer, to have students scattered across the region (possibly unsupervised) trying haphazardly to understand what's going on, or to have organized educators facilitate a supervised learning experience?

If students in a controlled space (the bus) cannot be adequately monitored for safety, what are the prospects for students who will be at home under variable levels of supervision?

If the safety equipment (viewing glasses) is already being distributed, what is the difference between them being used, misused, or unused at home opposed to being used or misused while on the school bus?

There are protocols in place for early dismissals, late dismissals, and lock-downs. Instead of having students turning away, please encourage our minster, boards, teachers, and students to look up (safely) to experience a natural and scientific experience of this magnitude that won't come our way again for decades.