Two more school service centers decided to postpone class days to give their students a day off to prepare for the total solar eclipse that will take place in Quebec on April 8, despite protests from the education minister.
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The Mille-Îles School Service Center, which serves more than 46,000 students in 16 cities in the northern part of Montreal, announced in an email to parents that April 8 will be an education day for safety reasons.
“The risks to the eyes if [lâéclipse est] can be observed without appropriate equipment are very important. Therefore, appropriate adult supervision is necessary to ensure that children can view the eclipse safely,” the service argued.
Under these conditions, it is impossible to ensure the safety of children on the bus ride home, school authorities added.
The daycare center remains open on this day, but parents must pick up their children on site. No child is allowed to go home for fear of staring at the sun.
The Affluents school service center, which brings together around 50,000 students in Lanaudière, came to a similar conclusion on Friday.
Because school authorities were unable to “provide adequate care to all of our students during the eclipse,” they decided to move the school day from April 19 to April 8.
Here too, the daycare centers remain open.
Earlier this month, Education Minister Bernard Drainville urged schools to remain open during the solar eclipse and take the opportunity to educate students about this astronomical phenomenon.
Since then, the list of school service centers choosing to close their doors has continued to grow.