It’s not easy to stay hydrated at school during a pandemic

Students who are thirsty all day; others who drink from the fountains even if Public Health advises against it. The management of drinking troughs and leftover gourds in schools is not yet established.

“The first thing my children said to me when they saw me was: ‘Mom, I was thirsty,’” recounts Émilie Roy-Leblanc.

That day, two weeks ago, she forgot to put a water bottle in their backpack, now that fountains in schools are doomed or reserved only for filling gourds.

“My big 2^e year he had cross country training in physical education. He hasn’t had a drop all day, ”recounts the Montreal resident.

Hydration is not elsewhere one of the headaches that physical education teachers have to deal with during a pandemic.

“It seems to me that drinking is a basic need”, indignant M^me Roy-Leblanc, who believes the school should have found a way to help out his son.

She admits that it was originally her fault and that it will not happen again, but worries about the other students.

“I know that there are parents, no matter how many times we repeat them a hundred times, they will all the same forget,” says the one who has already worked as an educator.

Unsuccessful recalls

This situation is far from unique, since the parents of a school in Boisbriand received a reminder email on the subject last week.

“Unfortunately, many students still do not have a bottle of water to quench their thirst,” said in the email consulted The newspaper.

Andréanne (fictitious name) notices that some students never have a water bottle, despite the reminders and the fact that she teaches in a wealthy environment in Montérégie.

“We will not let them die of thirst,” exclaims the one who prefers to remain anonymous so as not to suffer reprisals from her service center.

Thus, in his school, young people who have no receptacle can go to drink directly from the fountains. “We’re going according to our good judgment,” she admits.

Teacher initiatives

Elsewhere, teachers have mobilized, such as Alder Pierre, who bought a hundred gourds for students at Lucien-Pagé high school in Montreal.

Young people can get one for $ 5.

At Marie-Rivier elementary school, also in Montreal, the teachers asked the administration to buy a case of disposable water bottles to help out the students, explains teacher Marisa Thibaut.

“We said, ‘Look, that doesn’t make sense’. “Young people were coming out of their physical education class and complaining that they were hot,” she reports.

The Ministry of Education reminds by email that the fountains should only be used to fill gourds, but indicates that schools “should always have a solution to allow a child who is thirsty to be able to drink”.