Questions remain as students return to school

HALIFAX -- NDP Education spokesperson Claudia Chender made the following statement as students return to school today:

“Today is a very different start to school than in years past. Students, teachers, staff, and parents are understandably anxious and nervous about how things will go. Children have been out of school since March in Nova Scotia. So along with the basic challenges of re-orienting, we are faced with very real questions about the logistics and safety of the school reopening plan.

We know teachers and staff in our schools have done their best to get ready for today, and we appreciate all they are doing to support students’ return to the classroom.

There are still a number of questions about what will happen when we do see cases of COVID-19 in a school. Parents and guardians need a clear understanding of what will trigger quarantine of a class, school or region, and what will cause us to move to a distance learning model for high schools. We also need to know how parents are supposed to manage time off from work to deal with testing and self-isolation if their child is sick.

The NDP continues to call for paid sick days for all workers and expedited testing for students. We will continue to push for clear policies and communication on what’s happening in our schools from the Department of Education.”

-30-