UPDATE: With six votes for and six votes against, it’s not enough to extend mask mandates at Ottawa public schools. In a special meeting Monday night, trustees with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board voted down a motion to keep mask use mandatory for a few extra weeks – following march break.
More to come…
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Mask mandates are set to lift in Ontario in one week, but there is debate as to whether the move is too soon, especially in schools, where students will return from March Break without a face covering.
Dasha Samperio is having a little fun in the sun, swinging on the playground at Lansdowne Park. The nine-year-old says there are more bright days ahead.
“I feel like I’m going to feel free when I go to school without the mask,” says Dasha. “I’m excited and really happy because I don’t like the masks and when you’re running you’re sweating and you have the masks on it’s not really comfortable.”
Beginning March 21, Ontario will end mandatory mask mandates, self-isolation and COVID-19 screening requirements in most indoor public settings, including the classroom.
“I think we’re done,” says Dasha’s mother, Elena, adding that moving forward, the focus needs to be on students’ mental health. “There are too many times when Dasha comes home to talk to me and says, ‘Mama, I’m tired of this.’ It’s enough; it’s a good time to just take it off.”
But for parent Dan Bornais, it’s still too soon. He has two daughters, in grades three and four, and they both say they don’t mind the mask.
“My daughter is immunocompromised and their grandmother is as well,” says Bornais. “They’re going to keep wearing their mask until there is better evidence to support the removal of the masks.”
There is significant pushback against the province for ending the mask mandate in schools. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, which represents approximately 83,000 educators, released a statement saying the government must prioritize the safety of students, teachers, and education workers.
“Once again, the government appears to be prioritizing political interests over safety in schools. The Ontario Science Table and Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald Cohn have said that the March 21 removal of the mask mandate comes too soon; yet, the government expects school boards to implement this decision to prematurely remove masks in schools next week. Doug Ford should be motivated by care and concern for students rather than his re-election strategy, and work in cooperation with school boards to ensure safety and stability for all,” the statement says.
Justine Bell, a trustee with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, wants to institute mandatory mask use in schools for an additional two weeks following March Break, as an added layer of precaution.
“We’re not there yet. That’s what the experts, CHEO hospital, are telling us, so we need to take a cautious approach,” says Bell. “We want healthy students who are learning and thriving in the school system and to keep schools open is the goal. We want to protect the most vulnerable, including those who are immunocompromised, and we know that the most effective measure to do that is masking.”
The OCDSB will hold a meeting with trustees starting at 7 p.m. Monday, where Bell’s motion to extend the mask mandate will be debated; however, it’s not clear whether Ottawa’s largest school board can overrule a provincial decision.
“We can go ahead and send a message out if we determine as a board to withhold these measures,” says Bell. “What could be the result of that is yet to be seen. We’ve seen in the past that the government has put school boards under supervision for doing things such as not balancing their budget as was requested … We’re talking a magnitude of a very large scope in taking away the ability for the trustees to govern.”
The OCDSB meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Monday. You can watch a livestream of it on the school board’s website.
