Following Tuesday's announcement from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, parents across the province are expressing concerns about the lack of details in the current back to school plan from the provincial government.
Saskatchewan schools will be returning to classrooms “as normally as possible,” said deputy premier and education minister Gordon Wyant in a press conference announcing the back-to-school guidelines on Aug. 4, including no reduction in class sizes and no mask requirement for students.
In response to the announcement, parents and teachers are urging the provincial government to revise the back-to-school plan, to better protect students and staff in the event of an outbreak.
A petition has already garnered thousands of signatures, and an email blitz organized by activist groups Safe Schools Saskatchewan and Keep SK Kids Safe went live on Thursday morning. A phone blitz is scheduled for Monday morning, with details on how to take part available by emailing keepskkidssafe@gmail.com for information.
Mask Up for Education rallies are also planned across the province for Friday at 11 a.m., with organizers urging residents across Saskatchewan to put on a mask and share their concerns with their local MLA, either by peacefully visiting their office or sharing photos and messages online.
“We chose masks because they’re a visual sign and they’re the bare minimum of what needs to be done,” said one of the rally’s organizers and Saskatoon parent, Christine Freethy, who has seen lots of discontent following the release of the government’s plan. “(And) sharing on social media is so that the government understands just how many people are disappointed.”
Those participating in the Friday rallies are welcome to do so from wherever, said Freethy, as the movement has created a social media hashtag to help collect voices: #Masks4SaskEd. People are invited to tag their MLAs in posts sharing their concerns as well.
Concerns extend further than just mandating masks, said Freethy. The movement is also calling for more details about cohorting plans, solutions to overcrowded classrooms, and more clarity on thresholds that would change the response level for school divisions.
The movement is also seeking a better budget and more resources allotted to help implement safety protocols.
“The plan for reopening golf courses was more detailed than the plan for reopening schools,” said Freethy. “And it's not just about students and teachers. Schools are basically a super spreader event waiting to happen, particularly if so little is being done.”
Many of the concerns outlined in the public outcries were also shared by NDP education critic Carla Beck, following the Sask Party's announcement on Tuesday, as she also criticized the lack of details in the government's plan for September.
Freethy also criticized the message shared by Wyant and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab that the goal is to regain normalcy for students.
“Dr. Shahab has said he wants things to return to as normal as possible, and that’s not reasonable in a pandemic. We’ve had to change so many things, but we’re not going to change where we congregate hundreds and sometimes thousands of people a day?” said Freethy.
Freethy and other organizers are hoping these actions will prompt a response from the provincial government and a reconsideration of the current education plan laid out for school divisions.
“My hope is that people across the province will find ways to do action every single week. It doesn’t always have to be a rally,” said Freethy. “It's all about pressure coming from different areas and the more pressure, the better. There’s an election in October and the Saskatchewan Party needs to understand that we will be in opposition to them whilst our children are not safe at school, and whilst they’re not taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously."
