The Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division said masks would be used for Grades 4 to 12 and more details would be released by later next week. (file photo/paNOW Staff)
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P.A. school divisions will use face masks Grades 4 to 12

Aug 11, 2020 | 5:58 PM

Both of Prince Albert’s school districts will require Grade 4 to 12 students to wear face masks when the new year starts Sept. 1. The news comes after a week of political and public debate amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The information from the local school districts came Tuesday afternoon following the release of guidelines on face masks earlier in the day by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Latest provincial guidelines

The province said it was providing “additional guidance” for school divisions “wishing to move to level two.” Level two is the second in an escalating series of four scenarios that may be activated regionally or provincially based on advice from the chief medical health officer. The government advised school districts that students in Grades 4 through 12 wear a mask in high traffic areas, such as in hallways and on buses.

Again, the government said masks would not be mandatory and any decisions to move in that direction will be up to school districts. The opposition New Democrats repeated their criticism of a lack of clear guidance from the province.

Mandatory masks

The Catholic School Division is making face coverings mandatory, while the Saskatchewan Rivers Public Division said masks would also be used for Grades 4 to 12 and more details would be released by later next week.

“There will be many parents and staff who will be very pleased to know we have mandated masks,” Lorel Trumier, the director of education for the P.A. Catholic School Division told paNOW. “It was important to a lot of people; we were hearing that information in our survey.”

Trumier said each student would be given a reusable mask to keep but disposable ones would also be available. She added they were also looking at options of giving each student a face shield and they would have more information on the roll-out of that soon.

The Prince Albert Catholic School Division said masks for Grades 4 to 12 students would be mandatory and they were also looking at options for face shields. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

She explained she was happy to see the provincial health officer offering similar advice to his local counterpart.

“Our local chief medical health officer has also supported that move and [the Catholic School Division] was already heading in that direction.”

Sask. Rivers will use masks

Robert Bratvold, the director of education with the Saskatchewan Rivers Public Division, welcomed the latest information from the province and its chief medical health officer.

“It’s good to get the guidance… I think it also indicates there’s a willingness in making sure school divisions have some more autonomy with some guidance,” he said.

He had a message for any parents who were concerned about how things will unfold next month.

“You can know there’s support for masks in Grades 4 to 12. There might be some exceptions; some particular circumstances around how that looks… and another thing we can know is Aug. 17 we’ll have further details.”

High-density options

The provincial government’s guidelines outlined Tuesday said for those students in Grades 9 through 12, masks may be required in classrooms where it is not possible to maintain physical distancing or where students are outside of the cohort within their classroom, as well as all teachers and staff.

For those high schools that have a high-density population, further discussions with Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions have resulted in factors being developed for those considering level three. Factors that would be considered include the location, structure and population density of the school. School divisions may consider additional options, including alternating days for high school students.

The latest guidance added students are encouraged to bring their own non-medical cloth masks to school. Mask guidelines can be found in the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan here.

NDP criticism continues

Meanwhile the NDP’s education critic said she continued “to be astounded by this government’s complete lack of planning for a safe return to schools.”

Carla Beck said further guidance was badly needed, but the guidance they’ve provided so far was not nearly enough.

“Parents still do not know when, and under what conditions, mask use will be mandatory. Saskatchewan parents, students, teachers, and school-based staff are still stuck with the worst plan in the country,” she said.

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow

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