'Learning must be suffering': Victoria schools still waiting on classrooms

It has been two months since school started and some students at Victoria schools are still waiting for classrooms.

The Greater Victoria School District is building its own portables at École Willows Elementary School in Oak Bay. They were expected to be completed by September, but students and teachers continue to shuffle between the gymnasium and the library while they wait for permanent classrooms.

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Portables pending

According to Carolyn Howe, second vice-president of the Greater Victoria Teachers' Association, there are other schools in the district also counting on portables that have yet to arrive.

Howe told On The Island host Gregor Craigie that Quadra Elementary School, Northridge Elementary School and Central Middle School are also still waiting for portables.

Mark Walsh, secretary treasurer for the Greater Victoria School District, said that while the portables intended for École Willows and Quadra Elementary are behind schedule, the plan was always to build the Northridge and Central portables during the school year.

Walsh said design and supplier delays held up construction, but that the impacts on students and teachers has been relatively limited.

This is not the feedback Howe has heard.

At the end of their ropes

"We have some very stressed and upset teachers trying to make the best of things, but I think in many cases they are at the end of their ropes," said Howe.

The GVTA has filed seven grievances with the Ministry of Education concerning the lack of classrooms in the district. 

"Some of the situations teachers are in, students are in, are really hard to fathom," said Howe. "Certainly, in some [of these] cases, I would say that learning must be suffering." 

She said teachers do not have access to the resources they would in a permanent classroom and that mobilizing young children regularly and staying organized is a constant struggle.

In some cases, physical education and music classes are being compromised to provide physical space to homeroom teachers who are without a home.

"We heard from one of our members who said that she has never felt so low and depressed in her entire career," said Howe.

Howe said the GVTA would also like to know why new schools are being 'inundated by portables' when there are empty schools in the district.

Classroom confusion

"We are confused. We don't think that the district had enough time to prepare," said Howe.

Walsh said Ecole Willows Elementary will have their portables by Nov. 13.

The pending portables are designed to be environmentally efficient and feature natural light and hardwood floors.

"I think we are going to be calling them learning studios," said Walsh, who called the yet unfinished portables "architecturally interesting, lovely learning spaces."

Until those "learning spaces" arrive, teachers and students will continue to learn in whatever spaces they have available.

With files from On The Island.