Simona Emiliani says she had a hard time helping her elementary school deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was difficult to not feel like we [principals] had to carry the heavy weight of the impacts of the pandemic on students, staff, and families at our schools.”
The latest annual survey by non-profit education advocacy group People for Education found Emiliani was not alone. It found 90 per cent of principals said co-ordinating staffing was one of their biggest challenges since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emiliani says she experienced many of the challenges listed in the survey, such as reorganizing the school environment, supporting staff with the transition to online learning, and managing staff absences.
The survey also found just 43 per cent of principals thought their school has the resources necessary to support the mental health and well-being of its students.
Emiliani said the Toronto District School Board and its partners have worked to provide schools with accessible and relevant resources to support mental health for teachers and parents.
“Our professional support staff hold frequent drop-in hours for educators and parents,” said Emiliani. “Lists of external agencies and crisis centres have been curated and shared with all schools and parents.”
People For Education gathered 965 responses from principals across 71 of the 72 school boards across Ontario.
The findings also showed the challenges related to hybrid learning and ineffective government support and communication. Most principals also reported that the levels of stress at work were not manageable.
Top challengers facing Ontario schools according to People for Education’s 2021/2022 survey. Photo credit: Julia Alevato
Not too far from Humbercrest Public School, Peter Deboran said he felt the stress and tension caused by the pandemic in his school in North York.
“I certainly feel the responsibility every day, and recognize how important this role is – we don’t manufacture products, we help develop loving, intelligent, socially responsible human beings. It’s a mighty responsibility.”
“Today, we recognize and understand that children are coming in with multiple concerns. And our teachers are human too, they have kids and elderly parents, and they also have their challenges, so the job of a principal is multi-faceted and complex,” he told Humber News.
Deboran started to work as a principal in the Faywood Arts-Based Curriculum School during the pandemic in August 2020. He said the biggest challenges were centred around issues of health, safety, and trust.
“Everyone was very much concerned about personal safety, especially as many of them had family members who were in some way immunocompromised or were just very concerned about being exposed to COVID-19,” said Deboran.
The 2021-22 report includes a reminder that in last year’s survey, principals provided four overall recommendations for change, including more effective consultation and communication, additional funding for staff, and increased access to technology.
“The impact of the pandemic on students and staff will not end as COVID numbers decline, and the issues raised by principals will not magically disappear in the coming year,” wrote PFE Executive Director Annie Kidder in a news release.
“Like all our education partners, People for Education continues to call on the government to convene an Education Advisory Task Force to ensure the province has a comprehensive plan for the coming years.”
The Ontario government announced earlier this month a record funding of $26.6 billion for the 2022-23 school year.
The government said $85.5 million would go toward helping students whose learning and mental health had been disrupted by COVID-19.