Surrey teachers up pressure on province to make younger students mask up

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Staff and students at an elementary school in Surrey hit by a COVID-variant are staging another “solidarity walk-in” Friday morning, pushing for tougher safety measures in classrooms.

James Ardiel Elementary has five divisions that had to self-isolate because of exposures to a variant and, after a similar protest on Tuesday, staff and students planned another protest before class on Friday to push for things like mandatory masks for younger students.

The BC Teachers’ Federation is also increasing pressure on the province, questioning Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s explanation for why younger kids don’t have to mask up in the classroom.

“The only reason ever given is that kids will fiddle with their masks and will touch their faces more,” says BCTF president Teri Mooring.

“Somehow very, very young children in other countries are able to successfully wear a mask. Young children in other parts of Canada are able to successfully wear masks. So this reason is dismissive,” Mooring adds.

She says a mask mandate for students in younger grades would make teachers feel safer and would bring B.C. in line with Ontario and Quebec, where some teachers and students say the transition to masks was easy.

Heather Thompson, a special education teacher in Mississauga, Ontario, says she thinks kids are more adaptable than adults and deserve credit.

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Felix Joubarne, a nine-year-old student in Chelsea, Quebec says it took a few days to adjust.

“Before, I would always forget my mask in my locker. But now, you get used to it and you always have your mask on,” says Felix.

On Feb. 4, the province announced that all middle and secondary students, as well as all staff and teachers from K-12, would be required to wear masks while in all indoor spaces at schools.

Wearing masks remains a personal choice for elementary students in B.C., although many teachers do ask their students to wear them in the classroom.

As part of the requirement, masks can only be taken off when students and staff are sitting or standing at their seat or workstation in a classroom, if there is a barrier, or when they are eating or drinking.

Henry has consistently said young children are less likely to spread COVID-19 or have severe infections.