Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Province of B.C. February 04, 2021 - 10:48 AM Many students, and all staff, will now be required to wear masks, at times, in B.C. classrooms to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside made that announcement today, Feb. 4. All middle and secondary school students must wear masks in classrooms, rather than just in common areas. They are still optional for elementary school students. The only exception for the older students will be when sitting or standing at their desks or if there are physical barriers or while eating. That change means that, if students get up from their desks to walk around within the classroom or work in groups, they will have to wear masks, Whiteside said.
Investments in ventilation, remote learning needed as schools receive more COVID-19 support money
SHARE ON: BC Teachers Federation President Teri Mooring. Photo supplied by BC Teachers Federation)
BC Teachers Federation President Teri Mooring says school districts need more direction from the province on spending the COVID-19 support money they’ve been receiving.
Over 100-million in additional funding will be rolled out to schools across the province later this month including those in our region.
She told
Vista Radio conversations on how the money should be spent, needs to occur locally with teachers spearheading the conversation.
“Teachers need to be a part of the conversation around priorities for spending the money because they are front line workers, they are the ones in the classroom and need to provide information on what’s needed and give a lot of feedback about what is happening and what’s working and what’s not.”
SHARE ON: BC Teachers Federation President Teri Mooring. (Photo supplied by BC Teachers Federation)
BC Teachers Federation President Teri Mooring is calling on the Horgan government to issue province-wide coronavirus instructions to schools, instead of local health authorities.
Among their recommendations are a much stricter mask policy, a 15-student cap on class sizes as well as an overhaul on remote learning options.
Mooring called BC’s current mask policy in schools the laxest in the country and needs to be changed.
“The BC Centre for Disease Control didn’t even recommend the government’s current mask policy and we are asking the government to go further.”
PG District Teachers Association calling on Dr. Henry to make changes to classroom conditions
SHARE ON: Joanne Hapke Speaking at school board meeting. | MyPGNow
The Prince George District Teachers Association (PGDTA) is sounding the alarm bells over the current conditions in BC schools.
(Letter supplied by PG District Teachers Association)
In an open letter, to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, the PGDTA stated the recent surge of COVID-19 cases within Northern Health has led to delays in contact tracing.
Furthermore, the group referenced a bulletin issued by the health authority last week stating a backlog of people who have tested positive for the virus but have not been contacted.
“It’s a stressful time,” : BCTF President on abundance of teachers calling in sick
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(Files by Brendan Pawliw-MyPGNow)
BC Teachers Federation President Teri Mooring is concerned about the alarming rate teachers in the north and around the province are calling in sick.
Mooring told
Vista Radio a lot of the recent exposure events are happening outside the Lower Mainland.
“It’s an incredibly stressful time. We are seeing it more and more with an increase in the number of notices being sent out from a boarder range of locals, originally it was more concentrated on the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health Authorities and that has absolutely changed.”