A group of concerned parents is asking the Good Spirit School Division and the Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools to rethink their decisions on students wearing masks when they return to school.
Both school divisions have used the recommendations of the Government of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and the Local Medical Health officer in Yorkton.
For the Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools masks will be required for all Grades 6 and lower students.
"In consultation with our Local Medical Health Officer, we believe this is the most prudent step to maintain the general health of students and staff and to minimize disruption to in-person learning," the school division said in its back-to-school handbook.
Students in Grade 7 and above will be required to wear masks when in common spaces and are strongly encouraged to wear masks once seated in their classrooms.
For the Good Spirit School Division, Prekindergarten/PEPP to Grade 6 students and staff are required to wear a mask while indoors. Grade 7 to 12 students and staff are encouraged to wear a mask. All staff in a school with Grade 6 and under are required to wear a mask in common spaces.
Vanessa Andres is the spokesperson for the group, who have amassed close to 2,000 signatures in a petition that was delivered to both school divisions.
"On Friday, there was a small group of us that decided we weren't in favour of having the return to school plan as effective as we would have liked. We decided to write a letter to both school divisions here in Yorkton. Explaining the concern about the mask mandate that they are trying to implement on our children," she said. "We feel that it is an infringement on our rights in the Charter 2A, and 2B, and also Section 7. We are at almost 2,000 signatures in less than 48 hours."
Andres said that they want the mandate to be lifted and made optional.
"We as parents feel we know what's best for our child, and our province is open, and we commend them for that. We are holding almost 2,000 signatures that support our voice, and these voices want to be heard. We are requesting that the school boards lift the mandatory mask mandate or at least make it optional, then we are requesting an in-person meeting with the school divisions on this."
She said that there are other school divisions in the province that are not requiring students to wear masks.
"There are other school divisions in our province that have taken the recommendation from the provincial government and have remained to leave the mask mandate out. Such as Moose Jaw Public," she said. "They are leaving their schools open, making it an option. That is all we are asking. Just to make it an option for our students to decide, for our parents to decide."
Andres said that there are a number of concerns for parents.
"Parents are concerned because of the health risks involved in wearing masks," she said.
"We are restricting our children's breathing, not to mention they can't be breathing in a mask all day; that's unsanitary," one parent said in the petition.
I feel as a parent it is my choice to determine whether my children need to wear a mask," another said.
"Masking should be optional. I do not condone my child's suffering from breathing carbon dioxide."
On the Center for Disease Control's website, they state the risks of wearing masks.
"Wearing a mask does not raise the carbon dioxide (CO2) level in the air you breathe", it says. "The CO2 completely escapes into the air through the cloth mask when you breathe out or talk. CO2 molecules are small enough to easily pass through any cloth mask material. In contrast, the respiratory droplets that carry the virus that causes COVID-19 are much larger than CO2, so they cannot pass as easily through a properly designed and properly worn mask."
Andres said that when kids learned that they were going to have to wear a mask for the upcoming school year, they were devastated.
"I've had many parents reach out to me, lots of kids last year wanted to commit suicide. I have half a dozen parents that have reached out to me to say that their kid's depression level went up; we have more and more parents this time around that are wanted to homeschooling their children and not put them in for this reason to wear masks."
Andres added that the school board of directors represents them as parents, and they just want to really have an opportunity to express their concerns and their voices.
