REGINA — Both of Regina’s school divisions will be making masking mandatory for elementary schools in the city, despite no formal requirements to do so from provincial authorities.
Both the Regina Public Schools and Regina Catholic School Division shared an update to their back-to-school plans today, outlining enhanced policies in response to rising concerns about the Delta variant of COVID-19.
RCSD released a full plan with details, while RPS shared an overview letter from director of education Greg Enion and promised a complete plan within days.
Both school divisions said they will be requiring all staff, students and visitors to wear a mask while indoors in elementary schools this year, regardless of vaccination status.
Outdoor activities will be exempt, said the divisions, but all students riding buses will need to wear masks.
The mandate comes from discussions with local medical health officers from public health, said both divisions, as well as concerns expressed by parents regarding their children's safety.
“We believe this is the most prudent step to maintain the general health of this vulnerable population and to minimize disruption to in-person learning,” said the RCSD plan.
Both divisions are also strongly recommending that high school staff and students wear masks when indoors, but no mandatory policy is set. Visitors to any public high schools in the city will be asked to wear a mask.
The decisions to enforce masking were tied directly to vaccination rates in the province, said the divisions.
RPS said that about 15,000 elementary-age students returning to classrooms this fall will not be vaccinated because they’re not currently eligible under the province’s age criteria.
RCSD estimated that 80 per cent of it’s elementary students also remain not fully-vaccinated, largely due to ineligibility. RCSD also said it plans to campaign to increase the vaccination rate among high school students in it's division from 60 per cent to 80 per cent.
Regina schools, both public and Catholic, will also be returning to the two-semester format, and the majority of extra-curricular activities will resume as well.
“Every school principal will be directed to look for opportunities to allow kids to be kids,” said Enion’s statement.
RPS said that teams will be in place to welcome students back, and teachers will be encouraged to take students outdoors for activities where masks will not be required.
The announcements follow numerous public calls last week for the province to implement mandatory vaccination policies for schools, and a more comprehensive safety plan from the Ministries of Education and Health.
