Lack of sense in COVID-19 school plan

“Pausing” bubbles and limiting contacts to only those in our household will be difficult. I agree with efforts to flatten the curve, but some mandates are inconsistent and lack common sense.

How can it be safe for primary students and teachers (kindergarten to Grade 3) to be in classrooms of up to 20 unmasked students from 20 different households? Some school boards require all students to wear masks, but in our local school boards mask wearing is only mandatory for Grade 4 and up.

Social distancing for the rest of the world is two metres, but in Ontario’s elementary schools social distancing is one metre, even for unmasked primary students.

Returning to in-school classrooms is best for most students and families and is supported by the Sickkids’ report. However, a key recommendation for smaller class sizes was disregarded for elementary schools. The Ministry of Education provided funding to lower secondary classrooms from 22 to 15 students but did not provide funding to lower elementary classroom sizes.

Time to rethink this and make it right and safer for all students and teachers.

Finally, why is it that I could not have a short visit on my porch with my two masked, physically distanced adult children for Thanksgiving, when 20 primary students can be indoors for hours, one metre apart without masks, from 20 different households? Where is the science and where is the common sense?

P. D’agostini

Port Colborne