Forced leave for thousands of students during a solar eclipse

The Public School Board of Eastern Ontario (CEPEO) announced in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday that, in collaboration with the Catholic School Board of Central East (CECCE) and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CSDCEO), it has been decided that April 8 will become a learning day in Calendar. From now on, the initially scheduled day of April 26 will be a school day.

These organizations, following in the footsteps of others in Toronto as well as in Estrie, Quebec, say that the eclipse, which will partially plunge the region into darkness, could cause “potential security problems at the time of leaving the classroom and students returning to their homes.”

This means that 55,000 students will be on forced leave on the day the moon passes between the Earth and the sun and its shadow falls on the Earth, as school authorities believe that young people will be safer at home.

This phenomenon will occur between 2:15 pm and 4:45 pm.

partial

In the Federal Capital Territory, the eclipse will be partial, with only southernmost Ontario and Quebec falling within the geographic area about 200 kilometers wide where we will be able to observe the total eclipse, expected around 3:30 p.m. They say it is a period when surveillance is “less regulated”.

“This period coincides with the time when the majority of students leave school and return home. However, viewing the eclipse without proper eye protection poses potential risks of eye damage and permanent vision damage. It is also possible to face challenges with school transportation, both due to the availability of bus drivers and in terms of road traffic during the eclipse.

Health authorities also remind us that it is very important not to look directly at the sun without adequate protection during a solar eclipse.

“At any time, looking directly into the sun without protection can damage the retina (the light-sensing membrane at the back of the eye) and cause a condition called solar retinopathy, or retinal burn.” This can lead to loss of vision, temporarily. Or always, without feeling any pain,” warns Ottawa Public Health.

Please note that the celestial phenomenon is the first in 52 years, and the next one is not expected to occur before 2106.

Quebec Beach

On the Quebec side, the school service centers in the Outaouais have not yet announced any changes to their school calendar related to these exceptional circumstances.

However, discussions on this matter have taken place in recent weeks between the General Directorates and the Ministry of Education, according to the Director of Communications and Secretary General of the CSS au Coeur-des-Vallées (CSSCV), Yasmin Bellavance, due to the peak hour in which the eclipse is expected. The thinking continues and no decision has been made.

After smoke from wildfires, strikes, winter storms and even the coronavirus in recent months and years, a solar eclipse will partially disrupt the school calendar this spring.

practical

The total eclipse is expected to be first observed in Mexico around 11:07 a.m. Pacific time, when the moon moves between Earth and the sun, casting a partial or complete shadow. The eclipse will then be visible in the United States before moving toward southern Ontario, then southern Quebec, northern New Brunswick, western Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia and southern Newfoundland for about two hours, about the same time as many children in Canada. graduate school.

Some areas can expect total darkness for about four minutes during the afternoon.

With the Canadian Press