Ontario teachers' union, parents express concerns over the end of mandatory masking in schools
The province’s top doctor announced Wednesday that mask mandates in most public settings, including schools, will lift as of March 21.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) calls the decision premature.
“I know our educators want to be able to see the smiles of the students they’re interacting with and other educators, but we need to move with caution,” ETFO President Karen Brown told CTV News Toronto Wednesday.
Browns points to low vaccination rates among children age five to 11, classroom crowding and uneven ventilation as reasons for continued concern.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) questions the timeline for dropping masks.
“We’re worried that this is following right after March Break when people tend to travel and there’s a lot of social interaction, so we think it would have been more prudent to wait at least a few weeks,” OECTA President Barb Dobrowolski said.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) echoes concerns about the possibility of spiking cases and potential exposure to COVID-19 after the holiday.
“I think the government has taken a gamble here with the health and safety of the province,” OSSTF President Karen Littlewood said.
All three teachers’ unions are telling their members to do what feels safe to them, including wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing.
Some parents outside Markham’s Parkview Public School told CTV News Toronto Wednesday morning they will continue to send their kids to school with masks for now.
“Kids are getting used to it. I don’t really think they’re minding too much anymore so why not take precaution and keep it on a little bit longer,” one father said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'A great victory for the industry': Taxi drivers celebrate ruling that found City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.