CUPE Saskatchewan’s Education Workers’ Steering Committee says the province is ignoring expert advice and the concerns of many staff, parents, and students in its Safe School Plan. The Public Health Officer of Canada has recommendations that students over the age of 10 wear masks, that students and teachers stay two meters apart whenever possible, and that students and teachers be grouped together to reduce the number of people they come into close contact with. Committee Chair Jackie Christianson says, “The Ministry of Education is ignoring expert advice and passing the buck to school divisions.”
CUPE is also concerned about the exclusion of support staff from the planning process and from government announcements. Christianson wants to know, where the guidelines are for education assistants or the caretakers, or the library assistants, or the community school co-ordinators.
CUPE calls for a more robust plan would include:
• Mandatory masking for all students and staff at all times while in school, and separate cohorts for students unable to wear masks for medical reasons.
• Physical distancing of two metres required for staff and students. Online and/or distance learning to be implemented to ensure student learning is achieved when not in school.
• Enhanced hygiene for students and staff to access for handwashing.
• Enhanced school ventilation air exchange/HVAC system to reduce COVID-19 aerosol transmissions.
• Emergency pandemic funding
(CJWW)
