The 2024 total solar eclipse and its potential risks have forced at least four school boards west of Toronto to reschedule their professional activity days in April, according to officials.
In announcements published this week, Peel District School Board and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board said the previously planned PA day on May 17 will now take place on April 8, when the celestial event will blot out the sun across eastern Canada for a few minutes.
“…There are risks associated with viewing a solar eclipse,” the school boards said in matching news releases, citing the Canadian Space Agency’s guidance. “Looking directly at the sun, without appropriate protection, can lead to severe eye damage or loss of eyesight, even during an eclipse.”
The boards said that because the eclipse will occur around the same time students are dismissed, moving the PA day to April 8 will “ensure that students will not be outdoors during” that time.
Last week, Halton District School Board and Halton Catholic District School Board also jointly announced that they were moving their scheduled April 22 PA Day to April 8. The boards said the decision was made in consultation with student transportation services.
“By rescheduling the PA Day to coincide with the eclipse, we mitigate possible student transportation and safety concerns and challenges for families that could arise as a result of the darkness that would be experienced while students are being dismissed from school,” the boards said in a statement.
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