School boards in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton to keep students away on day of April eclipse
A map shows the path of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. (NASA)
The English public and Catholic school boards in Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton will be rescheduling a P.D. Day to avoid “direct safety concerns” associated with students and bus drivers being on the road during the April solar eclipse.
Students in those school boards were originally scheduled to have a P.D. Day on Apr. 26. However, that has been changed to April 8.
“The decision is due to the number of direct safety concerns associated with the total solar eclipse, which will affect the region between 2:00 p.m. and 4:30pm on Monday, April 8, 2024,” reads a joint statement from the Lambton Kent District School Board and St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
“Solar eclipses and similar natural environmental occurrences have, historically, resulted in a large number of tourists visiting the area. This poses a significant number of safety issues for our students and bus drivers who will be leaving schools and travelling on the roads during the time of the eclipse.”
School board officials said they recognize the “incredible experiential learning opportunity” associated with viewing the solar eclipse. But there are far too many safety risks to consider.
"Looking directly at a total solar eclipse can be dangerous due to the intense sunlight that is still present even when the moon is blocking part of or all of the sun,” the statement reads.
“As always, the safety and well-being of our students and staff remains our highest priority. We apologize for any inconvenience that comes as a result of the schedule alteration.”
In the London area, the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board have also rescheduled a P.A. day, previously scheduled for April 19, to April 8.
In Windsor-Essex, the region’s English public and Catholic school boards will be sending students home early on the day of the eclipse around 1 p.m.
In a statement to CTV News, officials with Conseil Scolaire Viamonde, the French-language public school board in Windsor-Essex, said its students will stay home on April 8 and be given assignments in advance to work on at home.
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