Quebec parents, teachers and school boards are reporting their own COVID-19 cases due to lack of government data
Frustrated with the lack of data around COVID-19 cases in Quebec schools right now, one English board has decided to take matters into its own hands.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board, on Montreal's West Island, wrote a memo to parents last week saying it would be publishing information on its private portal on COVID-related school absences.
This could include positive at-home rapid tests, kids with COVID-19 symptoms, or families at home in isolation after an exposure or case.
These daily absence numbers are being posted on the board's private portal every day at 4 p.m. so that parents can log in and monitor the COVID-19 situation in their child's class.
The board decided to go this route after the province announced in late December that it would no longer be providing PCR tests to most of the population.
Quebec students do have better access to rapid tests, however, than many others in the province, since each student has been given at least one take-home kit of five tests (children are supposed to be getting another box this month, though not all schools have received them yet).
The results so far? The school board says absences so far show an infection rate of about five to seven per cent.
OTHER CROWD-SOURCING UNDERWAY
Citizen reporting has never been more popular -- COVID Écoles Quebec, the website run by Montreal father Olivier Drouin, has also been collecting crowd-sourced info on school-related infections since Dec. 26, taking rapid tests as the basis of information.
Now that official tests are out of reach for most, even the government is resorting to similar methods. It has asked French school service centres to report COVID-related absences and says it will publish the data soon.
Health Minister Christian Dubé said at the end of December, and again earlier this month, that there will be a government-run platform where people can voluntarily report test results -- though it hasn't happened yet.
The tactic is not only being extended to at-home nose swabs. Drouin is also collecting hundreds of classroom air quality reports from teachers, after asking for them to tell him what classroom CO2 monitors say.
On average, Drouin says, more than 40 per cent of those results are so far showing levels far above the acceptable air quality results by the government's own standards.
For those classrooms, opening windows an option -- but less so in winter, for the sake of kids and teachers. In Quebec, if classrooms drop below 20 degrees, teachers legally have the right to refuse to work.
'VERY FEW' TEACHER ABSENCES - BUT PARENTS DID HELP
The government maintained Monday, nearly a week after children returned to in-person class, that the COVID-19 situation is well under control despite the lack of official data.
The province had prepared people to expect widespread absences and even that parents might need to help supervise classes.
nothing approaching a systemwide breakdown has happened so far, said Minister of Education Jean-Francois Roberge on the sidelines of a press conference.
However, in a few cases, parents did come and lend a hand in class, as called for in those contingency plans, Roberge said.
They were present as group supervisors while the teacher gave her or his lessons from home virtually.
"Very, very few" or "no" school schedules have been interrupted due to teachers being absent due to COVID-19, said Roberge.
He explained that he's been getting a daily "snapshot" report on the situation at both public and private schools.
"I am told that so far there is very, very little -- really marginal or no break -- in service. It is therefore still a great success after a week of returning to class," he said.
According to the information he had on hand, which he said still needs to be verified, no class or school was closed as of last week because of the virus.
However, Roberge could not specify how much absenteeism there has been among students. This data should be available "very, very soon," he promised.
--With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.