More TDSB students switch to online learning while COVID-19 cases grow

Less than a month since it was back-to-school, and about 7,500 public elementary school students in the city have made the switch from in person to online learning.

The Toronto District School Board previously said about 60,000 students had selected virtual learning, but a recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the province has led more families to make the switch.

Families were given the option by the board to switch between in-person and online at three dates throughout the school year, the first deadline was this past Wednesday.

About 3,000 students choosing the opposite though, switching from virtual to in-person learning.

Overall, there are approximately 76,000 students in the board’s virtual school, about 58,000 elementary students and 18,000 secondary students.

COVID-19 pandemic taking toll on Canadian teachers

Meanwhile, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new hybrid school model, appears to be taking a toll on some teachers in Canada.

A recent survey from the Association for Canadian Studies found 78 per cent of secondary teachers are afraid of contracting the virus.

Only 40 per cent of respondents say they’re confident upholding safety protocols within their classrooms.

The survey of 250 teachers, mostly from Ontario and Alberta, was conducted between September 4th and 14th.

A teacher with the Waterloo District School Board says she has never felt as exhausted and stressed during her 27 years of teaching, adding she often has to stay up late marking assignments and recording videos for her students who are learning virtually.

The president of the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers’ Association says teachers are putting their students’ well-being above their own mental health, which could end up causing long-term problems with stress.