Powell River teachers appreciate changes made to BC Ministry of Education’s kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, and the work both the steering committee members and ministry staff have contributed to make these changes, according to a spokesperson.
“Teachers will be relieved to see that although many in our schools and community are vigilant about mask wearing, there are increased requirements for both staff and students,” said Powell River and District Teachers’ Association president Izi Loveluck.
Updates to guidance on physical education and music will also increase the safety of both students and staff, she added.
Loveluck said that additionally, guidance around health checks and student illness not only increases the strength of the recommendations, but is also communicated in a more effective manner with an interactive checklist at k12dailycheck.gov.bc.ca.
There is also a revised checklist posted on the BC Centre for Disease Control site: bccdc.ca/schools.
Powell River teachers also appreciate the recognition from minister of education Jennifer Whiteside, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, and president of the BC School Trustees Association Stephanie Higginson that all staff in the district are working incredibly hard to provide the best education possible to our students, according to Loveluck.
“We are expecting that the school district, which has been very receptive to requests for increased protections for teachers, will be collaborating with us to implement these changes as quickly as possible,” said Loveluck.
The safety of students and staff remains the school board’s top priority, as well as supporting good mental health and well-being for everyone in these challenging times, said School District 47 board of education chairperson Dale Lawson.
“Provincial health makes adjustments to their guidelines as necessary to ensure protocols and procedures reflect their understanding, as new data is collected, and our ministry adapts and responds as needed,” said Lawson. “Locally, we value the strong relationships we enjoy with teachers and support staff. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to deliver the best educational experiences possible in the safest possible environment.”
According to a media release from the provincial government, enhanced safety measures and $121.2 million in federal funding are on the way, as the province continues to strengthen health and safety plans in K-12 schools to keep students, teachers and staff safe during the pandemic.
The release stated that all middle and secondary students and K-12 staff will now be required to wear non-medical masks in all indoor areas, including when they are with their learning groups. The only exceptions are when:
· sitting or standing at their seat or workstation in a classroom;
· there is a barrier in place; or
· they are eating or drinking.
Prior to these changes, masks were required for middle and secondary students and all K-12 staff in high-traffic areas, such as hallways and outside of classrooms or learning groups when they could not safely distance from others.
For elementary students, wearing masks indoors remains a personal choice, according to the release. These updates are part of ongoing provincial education steering committee work and in alignment with provincial health updates. Updated guidelines for the child-care sector will be made available in the coming week.
“To make sure schools continue to be as safe as possible for students and staff as the pandemic evolves, we have worked with provincial health and our partners on a continuous review of the guidelines, adapting and responding when needed,” stated Whiteside. “We want students, their families and staff to feel confident with the safety measures in place. That’s why we’re making these updates.”
Guidelines have also been strengthened for physical education and music classes. High-intensity physical activities are to be held outside as much as possible. Shared equipment or items, such as weight machines, treadmills or musical instruments, can be used only if they are cleaned between use, according to strict school sanitization guidelines. Students using equipment or playing instruments should also be spaced at least two metres apart and masks are to be used when singing.
Since September 2020, more than $5.7 million of the K-12 education restart plan for school districts has been used to purchase 3.9 million masks for students and staff, according to the release.
“Educators, administrators and staff have done a great job of adapting our schools to make them safe and ensure important in-class learning continues,” stated Dr. Henry. “Since the start of the school year, we have paid close attention to our schools and learned much, including the importance of having robust safety plans and using the layers of protection. Masks are one important layer, and these updated guidelines will strengthen how and where they should be used to protect everyone.”
To support BC’s COVID-19 response for K-12 education, the federal government announced $242.4 million in one-time funding for the 2020-21 school year, with the first half of the investment allocated in September. The second instalment of this funding arrived on January 29. The ministry of education is allocating $101.1 million to school districts and $7.5 million to independent schools, and is providing school districts an additional $3.5 million to manage COVID-19 exposures in schools.
