Students across the region returned to school this week with the five-month long mandated mask requirement against COVID-19 no longer awaiting them.
As part of the province’s three-stage plan announced on Feb. 8 to ease COVID restrictions, effective Feb. 14 there is no longer a provincial masking requirement for children and youth of all ages in schools, including regional ones in Chinook’s Edge School Division and Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS).
Adults, including staff at all schools, must continue to wear a mask in all Chinook’s Edge and RDCRS facilities until March 1.
Kurt Sacher, superintendent of schools for Chinook’s Edge, said effective Feb. 9 the requirement to show proof of immunization or recent negative rapid tests for staff, practicum students, contractors and volunteers, has also been lifted.
RDCRS, which includes schools in Olds and Innisfail, said the vaccination/rapid testing requirement is being reviewed and Alberta Education and Alberta Health will be providing guidance for the next step.
The end of the masking mandate for provincial school students ends the lengthy directive from the Alberta government that began last September, about two weeks into the school year.
“The government came in with a mandate and we had no option. We put in the bare minimum which was (grades) 4 to 12 in the school and K to 12 on the bus,” said Sacher, noting some school boards did start the school year with a masking mandate but that was their decision. “We did not. We said, ‘unless they mandate it, we are not doing it.”
The school board will continue to provide masks to schools, to ensure all students who wish to continue wearing them have proper access, he said.
He said the school board has a stock of masks left over from a shipment. The Catholic school board said students could continue to wear masks if they wish.
“We would certainly encourage them to do that (use them). I think there will still be some students wearing masks when we return,” he said. “We said we will fully support any kid that chooses to wear a mask.”
However, he added the public school board wants to avoid getting into situations where school officials are “guilting” a family on the mask wearing issue. He said the issue now set up is one that leaves the family with the decision.
“There’s not a problem with encouraging the students to wear the mask but there’s a fine line between encouraging and having them to feel guilty if they don’t,” he said. “We don’t feel its appropriate to go to that point. It’s a child’s decision with their family about whether they wear a mask or not.
“Our key message to our people is if a child or youth chooses to wear a mask (this week) they should be fully supported in that,” he added.
As for any preparation for teachers and other staff to best handle the new provincial changes on masking, Sacher said he put out a “focused message” to remind everyone that it was important to be “kind and compassionate and understanding” of the differences that exist within families, communities and among each other.
“We do our best work when we are united and understanding of the diversity that exists with our students, with the families that we deal with and within our own staff,” he said, adding the school board has been consistent about respecting family choices.
“It shouldn’t be an issue. They’ll be some wearing them, and some don’t. I will respect your choice; you respect my choice. That’s the philosophy.”
As for expectations for the first day back at school with the masking mandate lifted, Sacher said on Feb. 11 he expected Feb. 14 would be a “great school day” throughout the school division, despite some initial concerns with masking compliance during the last two school days of last week following the Feb. 8 provincial announcement.
“We were pleasantly surprised. Staff took the attitude of, ‘hey, there’s just two days. Let’s just hang in there and let’s carry forward’, and from what I hear they had tremendous cooperation,” he said, adding he had not received any reaction so far from parents on the lifting of the mask mandate.
“On Monday it remains to be seen what families choose to wear masks and which don’t. Quite honestly that’s not for us to weigh in on.”
