The return to school for Moose Jaw students in the Prairie South School Division and the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division has been on the minds of many parents, educators and other staff in the community, while it also ended up in Legislature.
During Friday’s Question Period a question was asked about what type of supports will be available for Moose Jaw’s schools.
Carla Beck NDP MLA for Regina Lakeview and the party’s Education Critic asked a question of the Minister of Education, the Honourable Dustin Duncan.
“As variant cases spread through younger and younger people in Regina and Moose Jaw, schools had no choice but to send staff and students home early. Now variant numbers in Moose Jaw remain high and students are set to go back to school on Monday. Parents, teachers, and staff have questions and concerns. What is this minister’s plan to make sure testing and other supports are in place when students and staff head back to school next week in Moose Jaw? “ Beck asked.
Minister Duncan replied the decision to re-open Moose Jaw’s schools was a sound one based upon advice of local public health officials.
“So many things that need to be corrected in the premise of the member’s question, but I would just say this: for the most part, by and large, our schools have been a very safe environment for teachers and staff and students for the entire school year, Mr. Speaker. We do have a number of areas in the province at various times throughout the last year where school divisions, working with their local public health officers, have made the decision to move schools to a different level,” Duncan replied.
The Minister said it was better the decision was made where it should be made — at the local level.
“But, Mr. Speaker, as the member indicated, Moose Jaw school divisions have decided, in concert with their local public health officer, that it is safe to return to school at level 2 on Monday, Mr. Speaker. In fact when schools return after the Easter break on Monday, 80 per cent of schools will be at level 2, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I think that what this shows is that we’ve given the ability and we’ve given the resources for local school divisions to make the most appropriate decisions at the most appropriate level — the local level,” he said.
Due to a spike in the number of COVID-19 Variant Of Concern cases in the community and under the advisement of local public health officials, both the Prairie South and Holy Trinity divisions closed their Moose Jaw and Caronport schools on March 29th and moved to on-line learning until after the Easter Break on April 12th.
The move has some in the community questioning the safety of students returning to class with Variants Of Concern cases rising in the community.
A letter to Prairie South from a Microbiology and Immunology expert at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine asking for the Division to re-consider the decision, and reprinted on MJ Independent website has sent off a wave of local concern.
The above story can be read at: https://www.mjindependent.com/new-blog/2021/4/10/8c0khu5bnqt3yupbe8bn16geg8l7i1
