Canadian Kids Returning to School

The results of a new survey of Canadians conducted by Maru/Blue Public Opinion indicate that despite a majority of both Canadians (60%) and parents of children under age 18 at home (62%) believing that their schools have adequate on-site measures and physical distancing to ensure a healthy and safe environment for students to return to the classroom, half (52%) of both Canadians and parents say children should not return to school because of the potential of contracting Covid-19.

The survey demonstrates that there is a real desire among the public (64%) and parents (68%) with children to get kids back into the classroom, especially as a majority (67% of Canadians and 69% of parents with children) believe that not having kids at school in a learning and social environment is going to damage their mental health and ability to grow up properly.

Provincial governments, school boards, teachers, and unions all get good grades for being prepared and in having the right approach to welcoming students back to the classroom—but there is a wariness to proceed and a desire for further fortification against the unseen enemy as a large majority (74% of the public and 77% of parents) agree that their provincial government needs to put more money into the school system so they can make accommodations for the impact of the pandemic, even if it makes the provincial deficit higher.