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ETFO Wants to See a Return to School Plan from the Province

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is calling on the Ontario Government to come forward with a safe and cautious return to school plan for September.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is asking the Ontario Government to take a cautious approach with reopening schools this September.

The union is calling on the Government to implement safety measures to prevent possible outbreaks in the fall. ETFO President Sam Hammond says the province needs to follow the advice from the Sick Kids report and the Ontario Science Advisory table.

"This Sick Kids report was released on the same day as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that everyone wear masks in schools. Schools have been shown to be sources of transmission, and ETFO is very concerned that pediatricians and other experts are not advocating for student masking at all levels, when evidence shows that relaxing masking rules has resulted in school outbreaks in other jurisdictions.”

Hammond says it is frustrating that no plan is in place, as we get closer and closer to September. 

“It is late July, and we still don't have a return-to-school plan from this government. There is no time to lose. It’s time for the Ford government to do what is needed to ensure every school has the resources and the support to implement the necessary precautions against the transmission of COVID-19. Children and families need the government to prioritize the safety needs of students so that every school is a safe school.”

Hammond says the biggest concern right now is the Delta variant and the fact that kids under 12 cannot be vaccinated. 

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