Young children in Okanagan schools were masking up on Monday as part of a revamped provincewide COVID-19 mask mandate in B.C. schools.
On Friday, Oct. 1, health officials announced that the B.C. government updated its K-12 education health and safety guidelines to require masks for kindergarten to Grade 3 students.
“We know there is a high level of concern among some parents, students, teachers and boards of education, especially in regions of B.C. where transmission rates are higher. We are listening to the concerns of people and, on the advice of the provincial health officer, taking further action so that families, students and staff feel secure,” said Jennifer Whiteside, minister of education.
All students in B.C. schools are now required to wear a mask when inside a school building, including at their desks and on school buses.
Kevin Kaardal, superintendent of schools in the Central Okanagan, said it’s added a requirement to its communicable disease plan to adhere to the new provincial guidance.
“We continue to follow provincial and regional health direction on all safety measures, as we have since the beginning of the pandemic,” Kaardal said.
“Schools continue to be safe places to learn and our staff will continue to help students follow all guidelines with a kind and inclusive approach.”
Parents are encouraged to send students to school with a mask, the district says, but schools will hand out masks to students who come unprepared.
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“The new K-12 Provincial Health Order will add another layer of protection for students and staff,” said Moyra Baxter, chairperson for the board of education.
“However, vaccinations provide the best protection against COVID-19, and the Central Okanagan Board of Education will continue to encourage vaccinations for all eligible people.”
Some Okanagan schools have informed parents they will not take a heavy-handed approach.
An email from George Pringle Elementary administration to parents on Sunday said staff will not force children to wear a mask or punish students for not complying.
Instead, staff will provide a mask and remind children to wear it. Parents can request an exemption, the email stated.
A directive from the ministry of education says students will not be sent home if they refuse to wear a mask.
Exemptions may be given to people who cannot wear masks due to health or behavioural reasons, the document says.
B.C.’s initial plan to implement a mask mandate for grade 4-12 students but exclude primary-aged children drew outrage from some parents who demanded extra layers of protection during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and mounting cases among children.
Attention is now shifting to calls for mandatory vaccines for teachers and staff in B.C. schools, similar to the vaccine requirement for health-care workers.
On Friday, the New Westminster school district voted to seek legal advice on the possibility of a mandate, with a report on the idea expected next Tuesday.
Six B.C. school district parent advisory councils, including Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby, have also signed a letter to the provincial government calling for mandatory vaccination for teachers and staff.
Okanagan parent advisory councils have not issued such public calls for mandatory vaccines.
One school employee who emailed Global News and asked to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal said she’s in favour of mandatory vaccines for all school staff.
“I work in a large school and I know for a fact that there are both teaching and CUPE staff that are unvaccinated,” the employee said.
“We also have a teacher that doesn’t wear a mask. A lot of the layers of protection that Dr. Henry mentions are not a reality in schools, unfortunately. I am so worried for the kids and vulnerable family members in their homes!”
The BC Teachers’ Federation has maintained that it would not oppose a vaccine mandate for members, though it said any such requirement would need to protect privacy and offer accommodations for staff who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons.
There were 33 school exposures in Okanagan-area schools in September, according to data published by Interior Health.
— with files from Simon Little
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