A child psychologist in Dartmouth says the combination of social isolation, and a lack of control caused by the pandemic has been damaging to children’s mental health.
Dr. Kiran Pure says she would like to see students return to school this fall in some sort of capacity to provide them with a sense of normalcy.
“For many kids going to school, even if they don’t love schoolwork, they do love the routine of being in school, being with their friends, seeing their teachers, just hanging out and sharing what they are doing,” she says.
Nova Scotia Education Minister Zach Churchill has said three back-to-school options are on the table: total in-class learning with physical distancing, rotating days between going to school and working from home, and full-time virtual schooling.
According to the provincial government, the plan will be communicated to the public by the end of the month, but Dr. Pure says parents and their children shouldn’t have to wait.
