An education expert has warned that Nova Scotia is on track to surpass previous records for the number of school days lost due to snow closures. While teachers are accustomed to adjusting for some cancellations, with several more weeks of winter ahead, one regional education center is actively working to make up for lost time.
According to Paul Bennett, the founder of the Schoolhouse Institute and an adjunct professor of education at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, schools across the province have already experienced seven closures, with the Annapolis Valley reporting 11 snow days. Bennett highlighted that this trend is approaching record levels of school closures due to storms.
Bennett’s data on school closures in Nova Scotia since 2000 reveals an average of 9.5 snow days in the Annapolis Valley and Cape Breton-Victoria regions by 2018. The Chignecto Central region averages eight closures annually, while Halifax typically sees 4.6 snow days.
By the end of January, while most regions had encountered four snow days, the Halifax region had only shuttered schools three times. Cape Breton-Victoria schools have already experienced at least nine snow days this year, with some in the North of Smokey region closed for 13 days. In the Strait region, all schools have been closed for 11 days, with certain areas in Inverness County shut down for up to 13 days. The East Richmond Education Centre in St. Peter’s faced 14 closures, three of which were due to flooding from a burst pipe.
Bennett emphasized that the peak of school closures typically occurs in March and April, projecting that previous records will likely be exceeded if current trends persist. He stressed that along with chronic absenteeism caused by the pandemic, multiple snow days are jeopardizing students’ education.
To mitigate the impact, Bennett suggested making online learning mandatory, as the volume of missed material exceeds the capacity of teachers to cover through traditional means. Richmond County Warden Lois Landry, a retired teacher and principal, acknowledged that this year’s snow days have been more frequent than usual. However, she noted that the distributed nature of the closures since mid-December has allowed for easier catch-up time for teachers.
Landry highlighted past strategies such as canceling non-instructional activities like winter carnivals to ensure curriculum goals are met by year-end. While online learning was utilized during the pandemic, limitations were faced in areas with poor internet connectivity, prompting the need for alternative solutions.
Administrators from the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education are currently collaborating with schools to explore ways to maximize teaching and learning time, including canceling non-instructional activities. Authorities from the Department of Education and regional education centers affirmed their commitment to ensuring curriculum coverage by the end of the academic year.
In conclusion, the prevalence of snow days in Nova Scotia this year has posed challenges to educational continuity, prompting stakeholders to consider innovative approaches to mitigate the impact on students’ learning.