Toronto students told not to speak during lunch to reduce the spread of COVID-19
Parents of elementary school children in Toronto are expressing concern after their children were asked not to speak during lunch in an effort to curb transmission of COVID-19.
Teresa Ostrom told CTV News Toronto on Friday that her child, who attends Alvin Curling Public School in Scarborough, has been asked not to speak during the period in which they are unmasked and eating lunch.
While the health and safety measure is meant to minimize aerosol transmission the virus, some parents are concerned that the time, usually meant for socialization, is being replaced with screen time.
She says she didn't find out about the policy until she had a chance to meet her child’s teacher face-to-face.
“My kid had never mentioned it, so I was actually shocked,” Ostrom said. “We were told that the kids were not permitted to speak while eating lunch because they remove their masks to eat.”
Ostrom said she worries about her child’s ability to socialize.
“I just felt so sad for the kids,” she said. “They've missed out on so much and especially so much unstructured socialization, which is what chatting with friends during lunch is, so it just seemed like one more thing taken away from them.”
When reached for comment, the Toronto District School Board’s spokesperson, Ryan Bird, told CTV News Toronto that, “based on the advice of Toronto Public Health, we have required lunches to be brief and quiet.”
He says this guidance has been in place since September 2020.
“By keeping talking to a minimum while eating and while masks are off, we are reducing the possibility of spread of COVID-19,” said Bird, adding that when mealtime is over, children are then permitted to go outside, where they can talk freely.
Children born after 2009 are currently not eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, meaning the majority of elementary school students remain unvaccinated. Toronto's medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen deVilla said on Wednesday that she hopes to see approval to vaccinate children ages five and up in the coming weeks.
Narie Ju Hong, a parent of two TDSB students, said that her children have also been directed not to speak during their mealtime. She says she is also concerned about a lack of socialization and described the policy as “cruel.”
“I'm a high school teacher and we don't tell the students not to talk,” Hong said.
She said that her child’s teacher often plays french television shows during this time.
Another TDSB parent, Julia Lee, said that her child, who is currently in the third grade at Carleton Village Junior and Senior Public School, is often made to watch a movie during lunchtime, “so that the kids aren't moving around [and] talking while eating.”
A Toronto District School Board teacher, who asked not to be identified, told CTV News Toronto that they “often play a short educational TV show or learning video [while] kids eat their lunches.”
“They don’t feel hindered and they know that we try not to talk when our masks are off — for respect and safety for everyone,” they said.
The educator expressed concerns over parents hearing of the policy from their children without understanding “the bigger picture.”
“I worry when parents are being told a statement from children,” they said. “It is literally from the mouth of babes and what ends up happening is parents can only imagine what is going on based on their child’s words.”
COVID-19’S IMPACT ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
A study conducted by researchers at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children over the summer suggested that the COVID-19 crisis has had a sustained and significant impact on youth’s mental health in Ontario and that screen time is partially to blame.
The early data, which had not yet been peer-reviewed, showed that more than half of 758 kids aged eight to 12 and nearly three quarters of 520 adolescents aged 13 to 18 reported significant symptoms of depression from February to March.
The study claims that increased time on screens “had a wide-ranging impact on the mental health of children and youth as well.”
“Of the 1,494 participants, increased time spent watching TV, on digital media and video games was associated with more irritability, hyperactivity, inattention, depression and anxiety,” the study says.
“Kids need school, they need their friends and they need to have fun,” Dr. Daphne Korczak, principal investigator of the study and child and adolescent psychiatrist at SickKids, said in a release on the study.
“As our focus shifts to reopening society, we must have meaningful conversations about prioritizing the needs of children and youth.”
With files from CTV New Toronto's Natalie Johnson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
Oilers starting Calvin Pickard in goal for Game 4 vs. Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers will start Calvin Pickard in net Tuesday for Game 4 of their playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Alberta announces the 4 health agencies that will replace AHS later this year
The province has released more information on its plan to break up Alberta Health Services and replace it with four sector-based health agencies.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.