Teachers Association Wants New COVID Measures In Schools

New Brunswick students are preparing to return to in-person learning on Jan. 31.

But before that happens, the association representing teachers wants to ensure a safe environment for students and staff.

The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association (NBTA) is calling on the province to adopt several new COVID-related measures before a return to in-person learning.

Among them, providing all staff and students with KN95 masks, reducing class sizes to enhance the ability to physical distance, and facilitating easier access to boosters for teachers and staff.

In addition, NBTA wants the provincial government to:

• Make masking mandatory for all those in schools
• Hire all available supply teachers to be deployed each day to reduce interruptions for families because of staff shortages due to isolation and illness
• Provide safety glasses or face shields for school personnel

They also want the province to release the most recent report on ventilation in schools, and commit to a “timely and transparent” response.

In December, the Department of Education said it plans to contract private consultants to review ventilation in schools, given that ventilation and air exchange “also contribute to a healthy school environment.”

Details on the review are expected to be released sometime early this year.

The association also wants the province to reinstate a number of previous measures, such as:

• Classroom and playground bubbles and smaller class sizes
• Enhanced cleaning of school buildings
• Rotational attendance for any schools or classrooms where numbers are too large for appropriate distancing, as a last resort
• Redeployment of any teachers who are not in schools to classrooms to help address teacher shortages due to increased sick leaves caused by isolation and COVID outbreaks
• Prioritized accessibility to vaccinations for all staff and eligible students
• Readily accessible rapid tests for school staff and students

The association is also calling on the government to create a “clear minimum standard” for safely staffing schools that, if not achieved, triggers an operational closure for health and safety reasons.