Parents, schools or government? Mixed reaction to Alberta banning mask mandates in schools
Posted November 26, 2022 11:03 am.
Last Updated November 26, 2022 11:06 am.
There was relief for some parents this week after Alberta’s education minister removed school boards’ legal ability to implement mask mandates.
BACKGROUND: Alberta bans masking mandates in schools, guarantees in-person learning
The founder of “Families for Choice,” a group that opposes mask mandates, feels it should be an individual’s choice to wear – or not – a mask.
Jacqueline Mitchell is celebrating the announcement by the provincial government, though she recognizes it doesn’t provide a solution to the current outbreak of respiratory illnesses in schools.
“I know that kids are sick, and I know that they’re trying to keep kids as healthy as possible,” Mitchell told CityNews. “My hope is we can come up with ways to keep kids in school while giving the mask choice to the parents.”
Mitchell believes there are other ways to keep kids safe other than masks, but the government just hasn’t found them yet.
EPSB welcomes clarity on masking
Meanwhile, officials at the Edmonton Public School Board continue to ask the province for help to combat the flu surge. They welcome this clarity on masking.
Trisha Estabrooks, the board chair for EPSB, doesn’t believe school boards should be in charge of mask mandates.
“It’s not within the jurisdiction, nor should it have ever been within the jurisdiction of individual school boards, to make decisions that belong to health officials,” said Estabrooks.
Today’s announcement by the Minister is not the solution they think it is. Making overtasked schools do hybrid programming to deal with absences only increases the pressures teachers, schools and parents are already facing. Who did they consult with regarding this regulation?
— jason schilling (@schill_dawg) November 25, 2022
On paper, Alberta’s top doctor would have the legal authority to authorize a masking mandate, but Alberta Health says that decision would ultimately come from elected officials.
Estabrooks questions when and how mandates would be put in place if they were needed.
“What are the thresholds? If we have a percentage of kids out of their classrooms, at what point does it trigger either mask mandate or further action that needs to be taken?” wondered Estabrooks.
‘Should be left to the school’
While there was relief for some parents, others were not celebrating the province’s decision.
The president of the Alberta Medical Association says the government got the announcement wrong.
Dr. Sam Wong believes mask mandates should be in place for larger schools and that individual school boards should have the authority to impose those mandates.
“You look at the situation, you look at the viral infections going around, you look at what people are tolerant to, and I think it should be left to the school to decide,” said Wong.
READ MORE:
- Edmonton’s public school board asks province to allow mask mandates during outbreaks
- Alberta battling high number of flu cases
- Alberta Premier won’t impose mask mandates as school absences rise
Wong believes masking would prevent escalating numbers and that individual schools should make the call. He says population and school size should be factored in.
“We talk about regionalization of things,” said Wong. “This would be the perfect example of letting schools decide what fits best for their population and their teachers.”
Guaranteed access to in-person lessons
The Alberta government also made regulatory changes that guarantee students have access to in-person learning.
The changes also say that students cannot be denied in-person education by school authorities due to their personal decision to wear or not wear a mask.
Edmonton Public is frustrated that if they needed to move classes to online learning, they would still need to provide in-person options.
Estabrooks suggests a staff shortage would lead to problems with providing in-class options along with online options.
“One of the main reasons why Edmonton Public would move a class or school online is because we are facing a staffing crunch,” said Estabrooks.
