NSTU seeks clarity following weekend memo from Education Department
It’s been one week since public school students in Nova Scotia returned to in-person learning. With the province deciding to end contact tracing in schools, the group Nova Scotia Parents for Public Education has created an online tool where people can report a COVID-19 case.
"It has been very busy,” said Stacey Rudderham, co-chair of the group Nova Scotia Parents for Public Education.
“There have been a lot of people coming to the tool and reporting their child's case or theirs, sometimes it might be staff members that are reporting their own case. It's open to anyone in a public school in Nova Scotia to report."
Rudderham said more than 400 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the last week through the new online tool.
"Only a few of those are PCR tests, so only a few of those school cases are included in the numbers that the province is providing in their daily numbers so it is concerning,” said Rudderham.
While parents try to track COVID-19 cases, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union is working to clarify a memo that was sent by the Department of Education over the weekend.
"I think one of the reasons this memo touched a nerve was that the fear of the unknown,” said Paul Wozney, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.
The memo, sent Saturday evening, thanked everyone for a successful first week of in-person learning.
Part of the memo read: “teachers are asked to make work and assignments available to families whose children are home at this time.”
That’s something Wozney said teachers were already doing before the pandemic.
"If this turns out to be no more or no less of a burden for teachers, then it is outside the pandemic, then it's not a thing. Right, there's nothing to be worried about,” said Wozney.
“Teachers have proven to be able to manage that in the past and they will be able to manage it now. However, we know anecdotally from across the province attendance is continuing to nose dive day by day by day as more and more parents opt to keep their kids at home."
Nova Scotia’s minister of education and early childhood development declined a request for an interview with CTV News Monday.
In a statement, Becky Druhan said in part: “the overall goal of the memo was to ensure consistency across the province in ensuring that all students who are absent from school have access to learning materials and assignments.”
Druhan goes on to say: “the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is not asking teachers to prepare different/additional materials or introduce a hybrid learning model.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.