Some Saskatoon parents hope schools stay open, as calls mount for classes to move online

While the union that represents teachers in Saskatchewan wants Saskatoon's schools closed to in-person classes, some parents say they're against the calls to shift to remote learning.

Saskatoon's Marina Iyeme-Eteng has a seven-year-old daughter and a son who is eight. She said she doesn't want schools to close unless absolutely necessary. 

"My kids are doing well right now and I know that part of that is because they get that human interaction every day in school," she said. 

"My children are very 'people' people. We all draw energy from other people."

Last week, the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation called for schools in Saskatoon to move to online learning, amid climbing COVID-19 case numbers in and around the city. 

In a news release last week, federation president Patrick Maze called the situation "perilous," and said online learning will help protect people

"We can't guarantee employees' safety or student safety under the current conditions," Maze said last week. "We just can't."

But Iyeme-Eteng says her daughter in particular struggled last year when schools went to remote learning. Both of her children missed the one-on-one time you can get with a teacher in a classroom.

She said she didn't realize how much being around their friends and having that connection affected their learning. 

Iyeme-Eteng said she sees where the union is coming from and acknowledges the difficulty of the situation. She said she is grateful for teachers and everyone working to keep schools safe for children to attend. 

"At the end of the day, our teachers need to be protected," she said. 

"But on the other hand, what are the disadvantages of a move like that [to remote learning]? Even teachers struggle with the online arrangement."

She pointed out that a lot of other businesses remain open, and questioned the benefit of closing schools to in-person learning if other measures aren't being taken.

If schools did close, she said it would be tough on her and her spouse. They're both working remotely, but it's hard to meet the demands of work and teach your children at the same time, she said. She doesn't have any other family in Saskatchewan.

Blay Blaw, a father of three, echoed Iyeme-Eteng, saying it would be hard on his family if kids had to stay home.

Both he and his wife work outside of the home. His mother-in-law lives with them and can watch the kids, but she doesn't know technology, so wouldn't be able to help with online classes, he said. 

His oldest child "kind of knows how to set up the computer or iPad for online studies," he said. 

But "it's hard, if they lock down, for our whole family," said Blaw.