A total of 13,913 students and 591 teachers were absent from Edmonton Public Schools to start the week. An additional 6,900 students and 238 teachers were away from the Catholic system. The absentee rate in the public system rose from 7.54 percent on Nov. 1 to 13.18 percent on Monday. In the Catholic area, that percentage rose from 9.6 percent to 15 percent over the same time period. “In recent weeks, we have seen a significant increase in reported illnesses in our school communities,” Edmonton Catholic Schools Superintendent Robert Martin wrote in a Monday letter to parents. “While maintaining in-person learning is our priority, it may be necessary to shift individual classes or grades to online learning.” The Edmonton public isn’t thinking about going online for classes, but events at some schools could go virtual or be canceled entirely. “The department continues to work hard to fill teacher vacancies so classes can remain in-person,” spokeswoman Veronica Jubinville told CTV News Edmonton. Many of the absences are attributed to colds, COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). “I’ve been in practice for 10 years, and in that decade, I’ve never seen viruses strike children with such frequency so early in the year,” said pediatrician Dr. Tehseen Ladha on CTV News Edmonton on Monday. He suggests the province consider implementing short-term cover-up orders until respiratory illnesses peak for the season. Upgrading air filtration systems would also help, Ladha said. On the streets of downtown Edmonton Tuesday, opinions on what to do were mixed. “Maybe it would be better just to learn from home,” said a grandmother named Francesca. “If they don’t build their immunity, they get sick, we get sick, and they just need interaction with other kids,” said a mom named Carly who wants kids in schools. Meanwhile, teachers, principals and support staff struggle to keep up. The president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association said in some cases classes are being combined due to staff shortages, which he worries will help the virus spread further. “We can’t get teachers to fill those roles, substitute teachers to come in, we’re seeing other staff have to fill in the rest of the day for those absences,” Jason Schilling said. “Doubling classes like this is also not ideal, because it increases the chance of other people getting sick.” Some schools will hold virtual Memorial Day ceremonies in an effort to keep students simple. Fall break also begins on Friday for both school boards, so there is hope that students and staff will be able to recover before returning to classes on November 16. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Adam Lachacz, Kyra Markov and Saif Kaisar
