More health protocols needed in schools this fall

Ruth Robillard offers some guidelines for a safe reopening.

In one fell swoop in March, we were taken out of our comfort zones, sent home, told to stay there, wash our hands, wear masks and stay tuned. Our lives changed as did the schools we left. Suddenly of major concern was, “How do we stay well and safe?”

The pandemic has certainly presented opportunities for each one of us to rethink and restructure our lives, our studies and our jobs: What is it that gives meaning to life? What do we want for our children?

My immediate concern was for the students — children and youth — and the continuation of their education. How can we recreate a learning environment for the students and for the teachers that will protect their health, their safety and their academic, social and personal experiences?

This will require leadership which consults with the parents, the educators, the school divisions, the community and the government and creates a plan that will provide for the safe and healthy learning environments for our children and youth.

Guidelines have been released during the past few weeks, but are they adequate? Did the guidelines benefit from input from all the stakeholders?

It is the parents who will, finally, determine whether they are adequate. Will their children return to school or will they be home schooled?

Based on my experiences as a parent and a teacher, I offer the following guidelines for reopening the schools:

■ Class size: Maximum 20 students per class (may be referred to as “pods”). Each pod stays together for all class exercises and activities for the day. Students remain in one classroom (exceptions such as physical education).

Parents play a key role here in teaching the child to wear a mask.

■ Students must wear masks (exceptions only in special situations). Parents play a key role here in teaching the child to wear a mask. I recently saw a mother and her two-year-old daughter enjoying the Saturday market, each wearing a mask!

■ Installation of more handwashing stations. Again, parents teach the education of handwashing so it becomes a familiar routing transferred to the classroom.

■ Each school has the services of a nurse who will work closely with the staff and students and lead the “healthy” routines — monitoring and testing students as they enter the building, dealing with any issues related to health and communicating with parents. Teachers must not be assigned to these roles. We must care for the health of our teachers during this stressful time and support and respect their work as educators.

■ There was a time we had the need to have regular police resource officers in the schools. Now we need health officers/nurses to fight the enemy — the coronavirus.

■ Teachers wear shields so that students still see their faces (masks if so determined).

Teachers may want to be involved in planning and organizing students as related to playground and lunch activities as well as other activities which complement their programs.

We must work together for the best interests of our children and the teachers as they face a difficult time returning to schools this fall. This return to school will be received with renewed joy and motivation if we all know their health and safety is protected. This is what we want for our children and our teachers.

Ruth Robillard is a recently retired educator who spent 60 years teaching at the elementary, high school and college levels. She holds a Masters of Education and was awarded a YWCA Women of Distinction award in education in 2005.