If you’re concerned about sending your kids back to school next week you’re not alone.
Paul Wozney, President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, said teachers have concerns about how quickly restrictions are being lifted.
Wozney said, up to now, Public Health has waited at least two weeks before making changes, but that’s not the case here.
“We’re glad to see that masking, we’re going to start the year with that,” he said. “We have concerns that masking could cease to be, basically the only layer of protection in our classrooms, a week after school opens.”
He said many school-aged children cannot be vaccinated, there currently isn’t a vaccine approved for children under 12 in our country, and many more aren’t yet.
Wozney said, despite last year’s audit, many schools have ventilation issues.
“We don’t know which school has what, we don’t know which schools meets standards and don’t, and we don’t know in which schools air is safe or is not safe.”
He said it’s the Union’s position that masking should stay in place until we have a clear idea of how COVID-19, and the new variants, will impact schools this year.
