Many New Brunswick students had a storm day Tuesday, despite most currently learning from home due to COVID-19.
The Anglophone South and Anglophone East school districts announced early Tuesday that their schools would be closed due to road conditions.
The school closure meant that all in-person and online learning was cancelled for the day.
But that decision led to frustration and confusion among some parents, and questions about why online learning could not continue.
Both school districts issued similar statements Tuesday afternoon in an effort to answer some of those questions.
The statement said a “small number of students” are still attending school in person for a variety of reasons.
“When our buses are not running due to bad weather, schools remain closed to ensure safety,” said the statement.
There were also questions raised as to why teachers simply did not continue with online learning from home.
According to the districts, teachers do not have to work when schools are closed due to bad weather, as per their collective agreement.
“This is a working condition respected by the employer and agreed upon prior to the pandemic and before online learning was established,” said the statement.
Even though there are no learning expectations on a storm day, the districts said students can “take an active role in continued learning” by reviewing previous chapters, getting ahead on assignments, or playing educational games.
“We also recognize the value of the global competencies reinforced when students volunteer in the community to remove snow, child mind, or help out at home,” said the statement.
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