Students are concerned with the Ministry of Education’s proposed plan to make remote learning a permanent option. Such a change would present many negative impacts for the student body.
In 2019, OSTA-AECO released a publication concerning the Students’ Perspective on eLearning, and many times this publication addressed survey results where eLearning had negatively impacted learning, due to the lack of accommodation for learning styles, challenges with technology, and the limitations on student-teacher relationships.
This past year, students have raised concerns about their mental health, and their social and emotional skills have suffered while learning remotely. Simply put, remote learning cannot be compared to the social classroom setting that uplifts student success and well-being.
Notably, the ministry document aims to create a business plan with TVO and TFO to market the online courses internationally. This plan does not prioritize the success and wellbeing of students. We want to emphasize that the education system must be in the best interests of students, and a temporary change enacted during a pandemic should be given more thought before a potential permanent implementation.
OSTA-AECO is not in favour of making remote learning permanent. Moving forward, we strongly encourage the government to proactively seek students’ perspectives as the primary stakeholder in education.
For additional information, contact:
Kirsten Kelly
Public Affairs Coordinator, OSTA-AECO
hello@osta-aeco.org