Canada’s Education System: Policies And Challenges During The COVID-19 Pandemic. An Interview With Dr. Charles Ungerleider

Abstract

This work is a scholarly interview conducted with Dr. Charles Ungerleider on the effects of COVID-19 in Canada. The discussion explores the various aspects of the pandemic’s impact on Canadian education, such as: the effects of school closures; Canada’s lack of a federal ministry of education; the burnout faced by educators resulting from the sudden shift to online education; the obstacles in educating international students; the reduction of experiential learning in post-secondary schools; the media’s portrayal and politicization of pandemic school closures; the forced integration of virtual learning technology; the disproportionately deleterious repercussions of the pandemic education on the marginalized; and the need for schools in creating social cohesion.  Keywords: Canadian education policy, COVID-19 impact, Charles Ungerleider