PROVINCE’S SCHOOL STRATEGY FALLS SHORT
It is difficult to fault any government for responding to the concerns of its citizenry. But for some reason, it took until this week for Premier Scott Moe and his Saskatchewan Party government to hear the concerns of parents, students and teachers across the province about the back-to-school plan in Saskatchewan.
Worse yet, many of the answers those same parents, students and teachers were waiting to hear from the government just never came.
There were, to be sure, some very positive changes made to the Safe Schools Plan earlier this week. In-school testing for COVID-19 and priority testing for staff are wise steps. Providing dedicated funding — $40 million — never hurts either. Pushing back the start of the school year makes much sense too, though many are asking the legitimate question of whether Sept. 8 is late enough.
But there are more questions still: Why didn’t the government implement a masking policy in schools? How can schools keep students properly distanced from one another in classrooms? They are questions that started almost as soon as classes shut down in March (and amplified in July as Saskatchewan saw a surge in cases), and yet we still don’t have a resolution that meets the expectations of many parents and teachers.
Instead, those answers are coming from school divisions, many of which, fortunately, are going further than required by the government’s baseline to reopen (the province’s plan
Why would we not take a few extra steps — a firm masking policy provincewide, find ways to keep students distanced during classes — to help ensure the school year doesn’t get cut off mid-semester again?
involves four stages of requirements depending on the level of spread and many divisions are reopening at Level 2).
No one wants a policy patchwork across Saskatchewan, but that’s exactly what it seems we will see in schools.
Both Moe and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab noted this week the most important thing we can do to protect our schools is to keep the spread low in our communities. While our infection rate has remained relatively low, we’ve also seen how quickly COVID-19 can spread in communities where individuals are in regular close contact with one another.
So while we are asking that students understand why school is a bit different this year, why would we not take a few extra steps — a firm masking policy provincewide, find ways to keep students distanced during classes — to help ensure the school year doesn’t get cut off mid-semester again?
Clearly, many parents seem concerned about exactly that as we see an uptick in students registering for online learning.
Moe suggested that students “take some personal responsibility to ensure that no matter how old you are — six, eight, 10, 12, 14 years old, or the educator — that your personal workspace is clean before you attempt to do work in there.”
It’s a nice thought, but until they are adults, it is up to their parents and guardians to take that responsibility for them. And to do that, parents and guardians are going to ask their government for leadership. And then it is up to that government to take some responsibility to make sure those students are protected as best they can be.