EDMONTON – Crying on the first day of school isn’t uncommon for young kids, but COVID-19 is adding some unexpected complications to the teary return to classrooms.
An Edmonton boy, like many others, cried on his first day of school, and as his tears finally subsided he had a few sniffles in his nose.
His school was prompt to send him home for those post-tears sniffles, citing COVID-19 concerns. “He kept crying. He didn’t want to go in. It was his first day,” explained Michelle Silva, of her five-year-old son.
“So, I went to pick him up. Found out he had a nosebleed as well, so of course he would be sniffling.” Silva was told her son also coughed.
He was sent home for 10 days or until COVID-19 test results come back negative, which could be four to five days. Under the new guidelines set out by Alberta Health Services, if a student has any symptoms of COVID-19 from a cough to a headache they can’t be in school.
Silva understands the rules, but in this situation, she feels it might have gone too far. She can’t help but think of what happens next. “I really don’t know what to do at this point. It was his first day. He wasn’t sick. What will happen in cold season when they are playing outside?
”She’s worried about her son losing the structure of school. During his isolation she wanted to sign him up for online learning but was told that wasn’t available yet. Silva is a single mother and says she can’t afford to miss five to 10 days of work every time her son gets the sniffles.
She’s considering other options like quitting her job so her kids can take classes remotely. “Every single time he has a symptom he has to miss 10 days or get a COVID-19 test,” she said.
One children’s development expert says this problem may be new for Silva now, but it will become common in the weeks and months to come for many parents.“She’s not alone. Many parents are going to be dealing with this reality in the days ahead,” said Sarah Austin, CEO and founder of Children First Canada.
“Teachers themselves will be struggling. This is our new normal.”