Dubey urges school officials to keep two metres between students to prevent the spread of respiratory droplets, which could transmit the novel coronavirus.

“While some distance may be beneficial over no distance (eg. one metre compared to no distance), keeping two metres apart as much as possible is still strongly recommended by public health,” Dubey writes.

Without that space, there are several risks:

• If a student gets COVID-19, the risk of them spreading it to others goes up — especially in JK to Grade 3, where masks aren’t required.
• There could be “pinch points” where students crowd together, for example lining up to go outside.
• The teacher may not have enough control over a larger class to ensure students are maintaining distance.

Jennifer Story, a TDSB trustee for Ward 15, Toronto-Danforth, called the situation “challenging.”

“The provincial government has not taken their investment into back-to-school COVID planning seriously by making sure that the resources are there for boards to do their utmost to meet public health advice and to meet public concerns,” she told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Friday.

Story said the TDSB doesn’t have much “wiggle room” when it comes to implementing smaller class sizes on its own because it doesn’t generate its own funds.  

“We’re funded to hire a certain number of teachers and to have class sizes that the ministry determines,” she said, adding “We need the Ministry of Education to hear our concerns.”

Government defending plan

Alexandra Adamo, a spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce, defended the provinces plan in an email, saying it has been “informed by the best medical and scientific minds in the country.”

Adamo said the government is spending $75 million more on cleaning and hiring 500 public health nurses to work in schools. 

Lecce, meanwhile, is set to join Premier Doug Ford at a 10 a.m. ET news conference where he will likely get more questions about the school reopening plan.