Tuesday September 8, 2020 ~ LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
Until now, the idea of studying outdoors full-time or most of the time was something seen only at the Kindergarten level in Sooke School District 62 (SD62). Their Nature K program has been wildly popular over now eight years running.
Now with the COVID-19 pandemic making time outdoors safer than time shared indoors with other people, the idea of learning outside the four walls of a school has skyrocketed to a level of actualization for many school boards across the country.
Even if a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available in the next year, overall physical distancing, hygiene, and mask-wearing protocols will be required in society for years to come, says Canada’s Public Health Officer Dr Theresa Tam.
In that context, SD62’s Education Policy (EP) Committee will take a look at bringing regular outdoor education into the mainstream.
Education Policy looks at expansion of outdoor education:
At their September 8 meeting this evening, the SD62 EP Committee will consider a motion about exploring the expansion of outdoor education for all SD62 students. The idea is to understand the resources required to support, develop and implement increased outdoor education opportunities.
Staff would be directed to look into reviewing outdoor education in other jurisdictions, conducting consultations/surveys with stakeholder groups, and undertaking student engagement at all grade levels.
In BC, the Provincial Health Officer’s COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings encourages the implementation of outdoor programs as much as possible. Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry often mentions how ‘getting outdoors’ is safer than being indoors. But it’s a stretch to shift the entire learning system outdoors.
The motion is being brought forward by Trustee Allison Watson, who has seen up close the success of outdoor education in the rural Sooke area.
Changing the landscape:
Unlike parts of Canada where cold and snow is predominant for many months of the year, Vancouver Island has many beautiful outdoor locales that can be enjoyed virtually year-round in our temperate and Mediterranean climate zone. As well, there is already a trail system that supports access to parks and other areas.
Outdoor education would change the learning landscape in more ways than one. Not just taking the ‘school’ beyond four walls into nature, but all the changes implied in that.
Outdoor learning may be most suitable for science and exploratory creative aspects of all subjects. But there will still be a need for access to technology and indoor spaces for quiet study with other data and resources at hand. Indoors will also be needed in the worst of inclement weather, unless the alternative is to send kids home.
The BC New Curriculum is flexible and adaptable — something we’ve seen during the pandemic to date, and critical thinking and inquiry are a key plank of the approach to learning in this province. But the novelty of outdoor learning could fast wear off for some.
Many considerations:
That will include the need to consider smaller class sizes, outdoor safety, dealing with all types of weather (clothing, equipment, protection of any technology used outdoors), physical activity levels, physical comfort levels, curriculum adjustments, age ranges of children (more likely to see combined age groups), how curriculum delivery and grading is done, how note-taking (digital or otherwise) is done by students, time duration and scheduling for longer excursions outdoors, insurance factors (wider range of impacts to safety in an outdoor environment), and more.
Behind all of that is how education will be funded. Presently there is a per-pupil funding model. If that continues, there could be a need for adjunct funding for the adaptations required for outdoor learning (teacher training and salary adjustments for risk, insurance coverage, clothing and equipment funds, infrastructure changes, travel to locations, etc).
Parent & community input:
SD62 trustees and the school district office may be approached by parents and families — as well as members of the local and business communities — about this initiative.
- Trustees for the Sooke area (Milne’s Landing Zone) are Bob Phillips (Chair of the EP Committee), Margot Swinburnson and Allison Watson.
- Trustees for the West Shore area (Belmont Zone – Langford, Colwood, Highlands, Metchosin, and parts of View Royal) are Ravi Parmar (Board Chair), Bob Beckett (Board Vice-Chair), Wendy Hobbs, and Dianna Seaton.
- SD62 main info email | School District 62 Superintendent Scott Stinson
Update on Education Restart:
At tonight’s Education Policy committee meeting, SD62 superintendent Scott Stinson will deliver an update on the K-12 Restart Plan. The public may tune in online. The meeting starts at 6 pm.
