Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

SCHOOL DISTRICT 73

Kamloops teachers pleased masks finally mandated in BC schools

Mar 30, 2021 | 4:50 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s been a point of contention throughout the pandemic. Up until Monday (Mar. 29), masks have not been mandatory in public schools throughout B.C. After Monday’s announcement, there was still some confusion about whether students will or will not have to wear masks in B.C. public schools, which created frustration for local teachers.

On Monday, it sounded like Dr. Bonnie Henry announced masks would be mandatory for all public school students in B.C., from Grade 4 all the way up to Grade 12.

“We’re going to be updating our K-12 public health guidance to help support mask wearing for all students down to Grade 4, in schools across the province,” Henry announced.

However, upon reviewing the language the provincial health officer used in the news conference, it wasn’t clear whether the announcement would give teachers any ability to enforce a mask mandate. That frustrated the Kamloops-Thompson Teachers Association.

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“We feel that if you’re going to make an announcement, make it clear so that the expectations are clear and people can move forward,” KTTA President Laurel Macpherson says.

Clarification came after the announcement that masks would be required in all districts throughout the province. SD73 Superintendent Terry Sullivan believes there’s something to the timing of that announcement on Monday.

“It’s probably an indication of the concerns with respect to what we’re seeing now and we’re going to see after the March Break,” Sullivan explains.

There are two schools in Kamloops currently on the Potential Exposure List: NorKam Secondary and Westmount Elementary. However, it’s been nearly a week since Spring Break ended in SD73, which means there could be more potential exposures in local schools coming.

“When people are on the move, the virus moves with them,” Sullivan says. “All 60 school districts in the province have had March breaks during March. That means a large percentage of our population was on the move.”

Sullivan says he expects any transmission that may have occurred over Spring Break to show up sometime next week. As for the KTTA, they’re pleased masks are now mandatory. They just confused as to why it took so long.

“We’ve advocated very strongly that students should have to wear masks,” Macpherson says. “We just feel it’s a level of safety that’s easily done.”