Guidelines for the return to classroom learning released

The provincial government has released guidelines for the return to classroom learning in the fall on Thursday.

The announcement was made by education minister Gord Wyant at a news conference at the legislature. Last week, the province had announced the return to in-person classes on Sept. 1. The guidelines cover Primary and Secondary educational iInstitutions.

In speaking to reporters Wyant said students’“safety and wellbeing as well as that of ou educators and school staff is paramount as we return to school this fall.”

Wyant said the precautionary measures within the guidelines will be implemented to reduce risk and have standards for cleaning and sanitation, and measures for general operations facilities, transportation and programming. He adds that parents and caregivers are being asked to monitor their children for any signs or symptoms of illness, and if symptoms are present, both students and school staff should stay home.

Wyant also said schools have been requested to “increase sanitation measures and continue to promote proper hygiene practices.  This includes the availability of hand sanitizer and washing stations, establishing protocols for bringing shared materials and equipment such as backpacks and school supplies in and out of the schools, and planning for minimized contact among students and staff as much as possible.”

For younger children, focus should be on minimizing physical contact as much as possible.  

“These guidelines reinforce minimizing physical contact while maintaining a school atmosphere that’s nrmal and as comfortable as possible.”

Wyant said the guidelines are being put out well in advance of the school year so that school divisions and teachers have time to prepare.

He added that they are open to input from school divisions and teachers and may tweak the guidelines between now and the school  year.  

On the topic of whether the province would provide additional funding to cover costs of cleaning and disinfecting, Wyant said that they will be working with school divisions and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association regarding what that might look like. He also noted some school divisions have saved money over the last number of months for not providing in-class instruction so they want to understand what those numbers are. Wyant also noted there was a $200 million contingency in the budget to deal with issues related to COVID-19.

In a news release Thursday in response to the guidelines, the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation voiced concern that the guidelines left a number of questions unanswered about how they would be implemented.

“Teachers are eager to return to their classrooms and we all understand the need for schools to reopen in the fall,” said Patrick Maze, President, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, in a statement. “The health and safety of teachers, students and other staff cannot be compromised. We will continue to work with our sector partners to ensure detailed health precautions and protocols are developed, implemented and funded.”

The news conference also included further information about the uptick in new COVID-19 cases. There were 15 new cases reported Thursday, with 14 linked to an outbreak declared on two Hutterite communities in the Rural Municipality of Maple Creek. 

Dr. Saqib Shahab, chief medical health officer, said these were not “sporadic” cases, but were linked to a specific outbreak in Hutterite communities. These are part of a larger ongoing outbreak investigation.

Dr. Shahab reminded people that even though Saskatchewan numbers are low, “COVID-19 can pop up anywhere, but it can be managed by physical distancing,” he said.    

He also cited the importance of public health working closely with the communities to get ahead ofon the outbreak, saying the "faster you move to do testing widely when there's an outbreak, to do quick case follow-up, the quicker you can get ahead of the outbreak and I think control it, and end the outbreak."