With the fall semester just weeks away, the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District have announced a new safety measure for the upcoming school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic: the use of masks for all students and staff.
On July 21, the Alberta government announced students will be heading back to the classroom for in-school learning for the 2020-21 school year, following the closure of all schools in mid-March due to the pandemic.
On Aug. 4, the province mandated the use of masks for all staff and Grade 4-12 students in hallways and other shared spaces of public schools to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Under the provincial mandate, students and staff have not been required to wear face coverings inside the classrooms, however, on Friday, Calgary’s public school districts implemented their own mandates which encompass students of all ages.
Calgary Board of Education mask mandate
In a back-to-school letter to parents on Friday, the CBE said the mask mandate will require the use of face coverings in all public areas inside the schools, including hallways, learning commons, bathrooms and classrooms.
The mandate is also effective on Calgary Transit and yellow school buses taking students to and from CBE schools.
CBE’s superintendent Christopher Usih told Global News on Friday that exceptions will be made for students that adhere to specific schools’ classroom sizes and class formats.
“There will be some situations where it’s completely appropriate to not wear a mask,” he added. “If learning is taking place in a space where physical distancing is possible, then a student may not have to wear a mask.”
He added that students will also be encouraged to take breaks from wearing a face covering throughout the day.
“We recognize that students can’t wear masks throughout the entire day, so there will be an opportunity for breaks.”
Usih noted the school board’s main priority will still be to keep students physically distanced whenever possible as well as enhancing hand hygiene and sanitizing surfaces in schools.
Usih added the province will provide all students and staff with two reusable cloth masks and disposable face coverings will be offered at schools should a student forget to bring their own.
“We are working together in a way that is safe,” Usih said. “No student will be denied their opportunity to continue learning.”
Officials noted additional health and safety measures will also be implemented in CBE schools in the upcoming school year to address issues like traffic flow, access to bathrooms and adjusted schedules.
CBE schools will finalize their own specific plans which will be posted to their websites by the end of August.
The board also noted it will be hiring 240 additional temporary full-time staff for the September semester to help maintain and uphold additional cleaning requirements.
“This will ensure that high-touch point cleaning in schools can be conducted while also maintaining the regular school cleaning standard,” the letter to parents stated.
“Staffing is underway with the objective of having additional staff in schools by the first day of school.”
Calgary Catholic School District mask mandate
In a letter to parents on Friday, the CCSD said cloth masks will be provided to all staff and students on their return and parents are encouraged to discuss safe mask practices with their children before school starts back up.
CCSD superintendent Bryan Szumlas said the decision to implement mandatory masks at the district’s schools comes following a survey being sent to stakeholders, including teachers and parents, asking for input on face coverings.
“Forty-three per cent indicated that they preferred masks from K-12, and overall, 75 per cent of people indicated that they wanted to see masks used in schools,” Szumlas said.
Students will also be given breaks to take off their masks throughout the day, Szumlas said.
“Teachers are professionals and they can build things into their routines like mask breaks where they can take students outside to take their masks off and have a break to breathe that fresh air,” Szumlas said. “Or maybe there’s a corner of the classroom where students can go and take their mask off temporarily.”
The CCSD has also released a School Resumption Handbook with essential COVID-19 information for parents and staff as the pandemic continues into the school year.
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