but the president of the b.c. teachers federation, teri mooring, has said more study is needed in light of more transmissible variants. she’s also led a push to make masks mandatory for k-3 students who have so far been exempt from the provincial mask order.
“september is a time of great excitement for students and their parents, but this year is different. there is still excitement but there is also uncertainty,” said mooring.
heather mcgregor made a similar decision for her daughter who is going into grade 6 at a public school in maple ridge.
“day by day we will decide how often she goes to school,” said mcgregor, planning on calling in sick for her child to prevent potential exposure to the virus.
“we will stay enrolled, so my daughter doesn’t lose her place but i wish i could keep her home,” she said.
these mothers, with the safe schools coalition b.c., are some of the parents pushing for more transmission-reducing measures inside of classrooms.
the ministry of education is estimating approximately 6,520 more students, or 1.2 per cent more students, will return to classrooms this month than last september and social distancing will no longer be strictly enforced.
instead, parents are being tasked with performing daily health checks to ensure their children are not sent to school presenting covid symptoms.