Parents Speak on Alberta’s School Re-entry Plan

Parents Speak on Alberta’s School Re-entry Plan

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

On July 21 Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced schools would open under scenario one which is near normal operations.

However, these policies are subject to change with direction from Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health, Doctor Deena Hinshaw.

If this strategy goes ahead, it would mean a return to inclass learning with routine self-screening of all staff and screening of all children, (students), enhanced environment cleaning and disinfecting recommendations, physical distancing recommendations. Masks, which are not currently mandatory, may be considered in circumstances where there is prolonged close contact as well as other plans.

Reaction to the school re-entry plan has been varied. Mary McCauley said, “Well I am for the children going back for sure. Some of my children have specific educational needs that make home-schooling difficult for our large family. I am truly grateful for all the staff at the school my children go to.

As for masks being optional, I really like the idea. For my children, I will supply masks but I also know they may have a hard time keeping them on all day. With masks being optional, it gives teachers the freedom of not having to enforce children to wear them.”

Erin Robert said she was happy to hear students will be returning to school in September, guided by the school reentry scenario one. “Our children’s mental health and socializing with peers is very important,” Erin mentioned. “However, I am concerned with class sizes and the funding needed for our local schools to property execute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements and follow extreme safety measures needed to protect our children and their families.

“It will be difficult to maintain physical distancing amongst students in classrooms with more than 15 students per class and on busses; possibly staggered attendance is a better option.

“Schools are already operating on extremely tight budgets, how will they be able to make the necessary changes to classrooms and libraries, purchase extra PPE, and pay for extra custodial work and cleaning? I believe more financial assistance is needed for our schools for this plan to work.

“Our schools need a plan and I also believe that each family needs a plan for different scenarios that may occur during the school year. If this is going to work, I believe each family needs to be extremely diligent in following the rules set out, in terms of the sick policy and other guidelines. Also, each family has different comfort levels and as a community, we need to respect everyone’s individual decisions. We must all do our part,” added Robert.

Ralph Lange said he is not an expert in this matter, but he believes social distancing, sanitizing, and hand-washing are the most important protocols. “This school re-entry plan would be acceptable if the students could maintain social distancing. For example, if the class sizes were kept smaller. I am pretty disappointed that this plan is not putting restrictions on class sizes. Also, I think it would help if they made masks mandatory. Personally, I don’t like wearing masks, but I will wear one if I have to. It just makes it easier to follow and it normalizes it, if it becomes a rule. I would suggest that perhaps the Town of Vegreville and municipalities make it mandatory for people to wear masks in indoor public spaces and then the schools will follow suit. But in practical terms, the exception to this would be small kids as they shouldn’t have to wear masks. Mask wearing should just be mandatory for students in Grade seven and up.”