Quebec CEGEPs, universities mull over when to bring back in-person learning

While elementary and high schools remain on track to restart in-person learning as of Jan. 17, post-secondary schools are a different story.

Quebec’s higher education ministry has told schools to return to class on Jan. 31 at the latest but it doesn’t seem that will end up happening in all cases.

Things are awfully quiet at John Abbott College in Saint-Anne-de-Belleuve these days, and it seems they will remain this way for several weeks.

“School administrators are not sure what direction the Omicron COVID wave is doing,” said Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious diseases expert at McGill University.

In a memo sent to staff Friday morning, the CEGEP said after meeting with Montreal Public Health on Wednesday, it’s become obvious a “normal” start to the semester would be too risky.

“With the evolution of hospitalizations caused by the COVID-19 Omicron variant, and our health system’s present inability to test and track positive cases, the risk of attempting a ‘normal start’ to the semester has become unacceptable,” reads the memo, signed by director-general John Halpin and academic dean Gordon Brown.

John Abbott employees are being asked to plan for classes to be mainly online “likely through February.”

“If you are going to bring students and faculty together on campus, it has to be with the utmost amount of safety and security possible,” said Vihn.

The higher education ministry told Global News it had spoken with schools on Friday.

“The ministry sent a communication today to its establishments to confirm the return to in-person class, in accordance with public health recommendations, will take place as of January 17th, 2022,” ministry spokesperson Bryan St-Louis said in an email.

He added that schools would be permitted a “transition period” and could delay their in-class returns to Jan. 31 at the latest.

Vanier College sent a memo to staff on Friday saying learning will remain online through the end of the month except for essential lab work.

“Given the latest information from the Health Authorities and the Ministry, we will be moving to a primarily on-line teaching format for the first two weeks of the Winter semester, January 17-30, 2022. The only exceptions to on-line classes will be ‘essential’ course or lab work that is approved by the Faculty Dean or Director of Continuing Education,” director-general John McMahon wrote.

Dawson College spokesperson Donna Varrica told Global News the school is still in consultation with other CEGEPs about their in-person start date, and a decision has not yet been made.

Universities are also evaluating their options.

“I think it’s really necessary for students to be present in classes,” said 24-year-old Marilla Elana Carillo, who came to Montreal from Mexico to study animal science at McGill’s MacDonald Campus.

She says her teachers are telling her to expect a lot of online learning, but with the proper safety protocols in place she’d much rather attend in person.

“I think that you can focus more on your classes in person. It’s not the same learning it through a computer,” she told Global News.

McGill says most of its instruction will be online through Jan. 23. In a statement it called its winter 2022 planning “flexible.”

“The uncertainty around the impact of the new Omicron variant remains high, however, we intend to return to in-person education as soon as safely possible and when government directives permit,” said McGill spokesperson Katherine Gombay.

Labs, music and other educational activities difficult to do online will keep taking place in person.

“We are monitoring the situation extremely closely and are prepared to act quickly,” Gombay said.

First-year McGill student Madison Albert wants to be in class, but being an immunology and microbiology student, she understands the need to learn online for now.

“It’s much more difficult to absorb material online,” she said. “But talking to people I know, I think we all feel a bit of a collective social responsibility to try to help curb the transmission in any way we can.”

Concordia says there is a strong possibility it will prolong remote teaching and learning beyond Jan. 20.

“We are assessing this right now,” said spokesperson Vannina Maestracci.