Ontario’s education sector continues to face incredible challenges as it struggles to provide safe classroom environments for over 2 million students, teachers and support staff. School boards are scrambling to comply with Ministry of Education directives while addressing the concerns of parents, students and staff. For educators on the front lines of the school community, we know that this can be a very stressful situation!
Please remember that during these difficult times, school board policies may change as the circumstances require. The situation is fluid and not all school boards across the province adopt the same policies. OJEN strongly encourages all local committee members to consult early and often with their local school boards when planning any sort of youth-focused justice education program this year. While many of us had hoped to offer in-person programs during the second semester of the 2021-2022 school year, the arrival of Omicron and resurgence in Covid-19 cases may require us to forgo these plans.
For some school boards, extra-curricular activities and field trips are very limited this year. They may discourage or even prohibit activities that allow students from different schools to mix with one another on a field trip. Many schools require confirmation of full vaccination status from all adults who interact with students, either in school or on a field trip. Even student participation in virtual events may include restrictions or limitations that local committees should take into consideration when planning their events. Sometimes, the most current policy isn’t available online, so talk to the educators on your committees and reach out to school board officials whenever possible.
We are very grateful to all the committees that, despite these challenges, continue to find ways to offer justice education programs in their communities. Thank you for doing your best to offer young people opportunities to build their legal capability in fun and innovative ways. You are truly amazing! Good luck with your justice education planning in the first half of 2022, and let us know if we can help. Thank you!