Physical activity is even more important

Many physical education teachers find it difficult to comply with all health instructions, especially when balls, bibs and changing rooms are shared by several groups of students.

• Read also: It’s not easy to stay hydrated at school during a pandemic

“Sometimes, a teacher has to go without material for two or three days,” notes Véronique Marchand, director of the Federation of physical educators and teachers of Quebec (FÉÉPEQ).

Survey

On Tuesday, it sent out an unscientific in-house survey to its members. Of the 232 who responded, 138 said they found it difficult to strictly follow the instructions requested by Public Health.

For example, in some places, only the concierge is authorized to disinfect sports equipment used by several groups. Due to the lack of staff, sanitation cannot always be done on time, she explains.

The sharing of gymnasiums and changing rooms by several bubble-classes at the same time is also a challenge, testifies Éric (fictitious name), a teacher from the island of Montreal. In his secondary school, about fifty students may find themselves having to change at the same time.

Conversely, a Laval mother is worried that the locker rooms in her children’s elementary school have been condemned, forcing young people to stay in their sports clothes all day.

“If the clothes are damp, it is more conducive to [ce qu’ils attrapent] a cold, says Karine Paquette. We will have to think of a solution before it gets cold. “

Move … from a distance

In addition to all this, there are distance learning courses when a class is placed in administrative segregation, forcing some teachers used to teaching in action to fall back on theory.

Still, teaching physical education in times of pandemic is quite possible, with a lot of creativity, testifies Alder Pierre.

Students can practice basketball in mini-teams of three, for example. And if a course has to be given online, young people can send videos or screenshots of their exercises, he illustrates.