Students returned to Delta classrooms Tuesday amid continued concern by teachers that more needs to be done to protect against COVID-19.
At a news conference Monday, BC Teachers Federation president Teri Mooring said the BCTF was hoping more preventative health and safety measures would be in place for the start of the school year, noting protections in place across the province are less than they were a year ago.
The BCTF is calling for, among other things, an expanded mask mandate to include students from K-3, as well as the province ensuring school-based vaccination clinics are available to all 12-to-17-year-olds.
Mooring also noted parents and educators are anxious about school communities no longer receiving notices about COVID-19 exposures as the number of overall cases in the province is expected to rise this fall.
The BCTF is also calling for quick completion to the school ventilation system upgrades, and a public reporting of those upgrades.
Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside announced that all school districts have been working to improve ventilation in every school, supported with $87.5 million in government funding.
The province is also encouraging school districts to publicly communicate the work they have done in their schools to improve ventilation.
Public health officials are also working with districts to hold vaccination clinics in schools as part of the community-based vaccination effort, she said.
The Delta School District last Friday released its Communicable Disease Prevention Plan which mirrors provincial guidelines.
The Delta plan includes, among other things, all staff from K to 12, as well as all students from grades 4 to 12, required to wear masks in school and on school buses. This includes visitors to schools.
School administrators may note elevated student absenteeism over 10 per cent above typical absenteeism in a school or class and report it to a district health and safety officer.
The Delta document also notes heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that operate properly do not contribute to the spread of communicable diseases, but staff are encouraged to move activities outdoors when possible and consider moving classrooms outside when space and weather permits.
All staff and students in schools are to spread out from others within all indoor spaces of the school for gatherings and events and in staff only spaces.
The document also notes the provincial health order on gatherings and events does not apply to K-12 schools or workplaces, including examinations and assessments, however, it does apply to social events such as parties, celebrations, rentals, clubs and theatre and concert performances.
