Mask Up for Education rally draws ‘small but mighty’ showing in North Battleford

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“I have been reading that staff and students would feel safer if they wore masks, but I don’t think it’s a ‘feel’ [matter] at all,” she said. “We will be safer if we all wear masks. I think at the very least our government could step up and take a stand on that.

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“We all want to be in school,” she said. “This isn’t what this is about. Let’s get back in, but let’s make sure we start off with safety first,” she said.

During the rally, a man who said he is a former principal honked when he drove by to show his support to the cause.

Battlefords NDP candidate Amber Stewart said while only several people participated in the North Battleford rally “we are a small but mighty crew here today.”

“People may have reasons for not being here in person, but I’ve been on the phone for the past three days with lots of parents and lots of teachers. They really are concerned about what is going to happen come September 1,” she said.

Stewart said the Saskatchewan NDP released suggestions to improve the province’s reopen schools plan. She said more funding for eduction is really what is needed to improve the situation.

“The province should be giving money to the school divisions so they can have everything,” she said.

North Battleford resident Laurie Borzel said while her daughter is in university now, the issue still hits home for her.

“I’m just really disappointed in the government,” she said. “They had six months to get something together and it seems like they haven’t thought things through. They are putting kids at risk; they are putting teachers at risk. It seems to me they are starting with the most lax thing they could do.”

MLA Herb Cox does not have an office day in North Battleford on Fridays, so he was not present to respond the group.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education stated in an email to battlefordsNOW Thursday the COVID-19 issue is addressed in the province’s Safe Schools Plan.

“Our government recognizes the importance of safe schools for students, parents and school staff. In close consultation with the Chief Medical Health Officer, the Saskatchewan Safe Schools plan lays out the eight components and guidelines that frame the individual plans developed by Saskatchewan school divisions,” the ministry wrote.

The ministry stated all individual school division plans across the province were reviewed and approved by the Saskatchewan Education’s Response Planning Team (RPT) to ensure they adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW