The requirement for your child to wear a mask in school is being dropped as of Tuesday, May 24.
The province announced they were getting rid of the rule just before the Victoria Day long weekend.
Education Minister Becky Druhan says wearing a mask is still ‘strongly’ encouraged.
“This decision is in line with public health’s current recommendation around masking…and that’s masking is optional but it’s high recommended. That’s exactly the position we are taking within the school system.” said Druhan.
Druhan adds warmer weather allows for outdoor learning, which factored into the decision.
“We still taking precautions around COVID, like making sure people stay home when they are sick, promoting handing washing and taking advantage of learning outdoors in spring.” she explained.
About 45 per cent of children five to 11 are fully vaccinated in Nova Scotia.
NSTU President Reacts:
The removal of the mask mandate in schools is bringing mixed feelings to Nova Scotia Teachers Union members.
President Paul Wozney wonders how this will affect the last five weeks of the school year.
“Is this going to spike rates worse than we’ve already seen? We’re barely keeping the doors open as it is. People don’t have any more to give, and there’s simply no more time to take away from teachers in their day,” says Wozney.
He says there is a concern for the operational viability of schools if more staff and students are out sick.
At the same time, he says masking has been left in Nova Scotia schools longer than other jurisdictions, and time will tell if it’s the right move.
Wozney says the removal of masks may also help teachers of younger grades.
“The inability to see kids faces, or for kids to see teachers faces as part of learning to speak or learning a language, has been really difficult over the last two years.”
Whether you agree or disagree, Wozney says he doesn’t want to see arguments about mask usage reach schools.
“We’re seeing messaging from regional directors of education drawing boundaries around what people are and are not allowed to say about this. That gives me cause for concern. We can’t afford for schools to become a political battleground about this issue. We don’t have the energy during a school year that has already taxed us to the limit.”
