MONTREAL -- Over 4,900 people have signed a petition urging McGill University to extend its winter break.
McGill will close for winter break Dec. 24 and reopen Jan. 3.
"In its current state, the break would last a total of 12 days, which is four days less than last year," reads the petition. "We find this to be completely unacceptable given our current circumstances and are formally requesting an extension of winter break."
The petition comes on the heels of Concordia University announcing it would restart classes Jan. 13 providing additional "downtime" over the holiday season.
Concordia's winter term will finish a week later on April 20.
The McGill petition cites exhaustion due to studying throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as a reason for the demand in addition to stress related to adjusting to online learning and "increased social isolation."
"A winter break of only 12 days is not sufficient for a multitude of reasons, especially as we are seeing a reduction in breaktime from last year," it reads.
The current break, the petition notes, is two days shorter than the 14-day quarantine suggested by public health authorities for those who travel.
