By Lyncy Zheng

I think we have all heard the unfortunate news. This year’s March break will be moved to April 12 instead of the planned March 15-19 (maybe it should be called April break for this year!). This news was announced just recently, and the idea behind the pushback is to allow COVID cases to slow down and to minimize the expected spike that comes after the break. 

Personally, I welcome the pushback. March break, also called Spring Break in some areas, is an appreciated break from the stresses of school, but it is never actually warm enough to do anything. Sure, it is March, but it still feels like the dead of winter. Maybe pushing the date back a few weeks will allow the weather to warm up and allow us to do more things. This pushback will also likely help to keep COVID cases low and allow the restrictions to loosen a bit. This benefits some of us who want to see our friends and family after this long period of quarantine – that is with limited interactions and masks, of course. 

However, this is just my personal opinion and there are many opposing ones as well. There are four teachers unions that have already expressed their strong disapproval for this change, saying that this break needs to remain a constant amongst all the changes and unfamiliarity students and staff have faced this year. They say that this announcement does not take into consideration the mental health and stresses that students and teachers have faced this year, calling this news another example of the “inadequacies of the Progressive Conservative government’s planning.”

Personally, I think a pushback is better than an all out cancellation and I am grateful for it. The break is still on the calendar, and because of it we are still able to loosen up without it costing too much for the healthcare industry and people’s wellbeings. The postponing is considerate of the pandemic we are in right now, and even though it is later than usual, it gives us something to look forward to. We should all be adaptable to the different situations in light of COVID, because honestly, everyone is just trying to get through these hard times and keep loved ones safe. If a postponed March break is what it takes, then so be it. 

Source:

DeClerq, Katherine. “March Break 2021 in Ontario Being Postponed for a Month, Lecce Says.” Toronto, CTV News, 11 Feb. 2021, toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-will-postpone-march-break-for-a-month-1.5304670. Accessed 12 Feb. 2021.