Premier Scott Moe (left) and Minister of Education Gord Wyant (right) adress the provincial government's Safe Schools Plan in Carrot River on Aug. 26 (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

By Aaron Schulze

Back To School

Communication, increased testing, and Public Health official paramount for Safe Schools Plan

Aug 27, 2020 | 6:05 PM

More details of the Government of Saskatchewan’s Safe Schools Plan came to light between Aug. 26 and 27, with the province’s 27 school divisions releasing their respective plans.

During a separate announcement in Carrot River, Premier Scott Moe acknowledged there have been many questions regarding the provincial government’s plan to resume public amidst the coronavirus pandemic, but he called it an adaptable plan that can elevate through various areas, school divisions, and specific schools.

“If there’s an outbreak in Swift Current… it doesn’t mean we’re going to change everything we’re doing that day in Carrot River,” Moe said. “We need to be cognizant of how this virus works and how we can ramp up the protections, where and when we need them, and how we can try to carry on with some degree of a normal life in light of that.”

Moe said by September, Saskatchewan will be up to 4,000 COVID-19 tests a day, and mobile units will move around to the province’s schools to ensure teachers and students in select schools can be tested on-site.

There are four levels of provincial operation that the 27 school divisions have put their operational plans within:

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• Level One – full in-class learning with hygiene standards and physical distancing recommendations
• Level Two – full in-class learning with mask usage for staff and Grade 4 to 12 students
• Level Three – reduced in-class learning; alternate day plan, cohort classes to minimize interaction of teachers and different students
• Level Four – full distant learning

“There isn’t an absolute criterion in place where we would say we’re going to Level Four when this happens,” Moe said. “It may be a Level Four in one school and one community of the province while we deal with an outbreak there, but it may not affect many other communities in the province. We don’t anticipate having to go to a blanket Level Four policy.”

Don Rempel, director of education for the North East School Division (NESD), said pandemic planning calls have been taking place since March 15. He said calls involve the NESD, along with fellow provincial school divisions, the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federations, and the Ministry of Education.

“We touch base as a sector each week,” Rempel said. “Those conversations and planning took place back in May and June preparing for school re-entry. We always knew there would be a lot of anxiety with school starting up… that’s what we’re going through right now, but our plans are in place.

“When we can have our parents talk to their teachers and school principal and they’ve got their head around the restart of school, that’s going to accelerate the public confidence in our system.”

The goal for the NESD is to return to as much normalcy as possible, meaning students going to school every day.

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 and reacting to outbreaks

Rempel said public health officials didn’t recommend student’s pre-kindergarten to Grade 3 to wear masks, that the rate of transmission from younger children isn’t as great and mask use could be problematic for them.

“If they are able to safely put on and take off a mask and they’re comfortable throughout the day, it’s encouraged but not strongly recommended,” Rempel said. “Grade 9 to 12 transmits the virus just as effectively as adults do, they’re required. It’s strongly recommended for students Grade 4 to 8. As we learn more about the virus, these policies and guidelines can be adopted moving forward. Last spring, we weren’t talking about masks a lot, but we’re seeing it’s an effective mitigation against the virus where instances where physical distancing isn’t possible.”

Containing a potential COVID-19 outbreak at a school will be made by public health officials, based on the information schools have. Officials will determine if students and staff members would isolate for safety purposes or monitor for a period. Rempel said class discontinuation or class suspension could also be possible.

The direction from public health to the NESD is that the community, not the school, is the transmitter of COVID-19.

“All the mitigation strategies we’re already practicing in our communities… if those are being successful now, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be successful with school re-opening with the plan that we’re putting forward,” Rempel said. “Young children and our students generally are very good when we establish rules, norms, and expectations. Just as we all went to school, there are rules you ask students to follow, and the majority of students will follow those rules. The students that have trouble with it will be supported to comply with our expectations and standards.

“If we can have in-person learning continue, that’s the preferred model.”

Parents now have nearly two weeks to go through the provincial government’s Safe Schools Plan, and their respective school division’s plan, to decide if they want to send their child to in-person classes.

In the NESD’s case, Rempel said they’re collecting a survey from parents regarding their transportation and additional support situations. He said the NESD has resources for students who are homeschooled or will learn online for the foreseeable future.

Students can return to in-person classes on Sept. 8.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow