Despite a swell of concerns from the public regarding the plan to return students to classrooms this fall, Deputy premier and education minister Gordon Wyant announced today that the ministry will not be mandating masks in schools and instead will leave the decision up to individual school boards.
During a press conference with chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab, Wyant confirmed that public health has developed a set of guidelines for what level two safety protocols would look like in schools, but that it will be up to school divisions to choose to implement them.
Wyant also revealed that a number of school divisions expressed interest in mandating masks in schools during discussions following last week’s release of the back-to-school plan, while some did not, prompting the announcement on Tuesday.
“Certainly school divisions have the best information at a local level with respect to the realities in their classrooms and in their schools,” said Wyant. “So we really thought it was important, given the diversity of our schools and the diversity of our school divisions, that they have the opportunity to make those decisions.”
For schools that do implement the recommendations, students from Grades 4 and up can expect to wear masks in high traffic areas like hallways and students from Grades 9 and up in classrooms where physical distancing isn't possible. Staff would be required to wear masks at all times.
The current return to school plan has faced a large backlash from parents and teachers concerned about the lack of safety protocols surrounding mask use and classroom sizes, among other issues.
The Saskatchewan government has now declined to begin the school year in level two of the four-level contingency plan laid out last week, instead of putting the onus on school boards to address those concerns, including masking policies and cohorting solutions.
Wyant confirmed that the government is requiring schools cohort elementary students into smaller classes, but policies for high school students will have to differ between schools.
"In high school settings where cohorting is more complex, school divisions will be encouraged to find creative solutions to move students in cohorts where possible," said the Sask. Party’s news release.
Wyant also confirmed that while public health is encouraging staff and students to provide their own reusable cloth masks, the government has purchased 600 million masks in preparation.
The announcement comes after a series of rallies across the province on Friday, as well as a petition that has garnered over 17,000 signatures since the Aug. 4 announcement.
