This morning, we got a chance to speak with Dr. Carol Babb, the Chief Education Officer, about the guidelines to keep schoolchildren as safe as possible.
She discussed the best practices that the Ministry is recommending for the opening of schools in the midst of a pandemic:
Dr. Carol Babb - Chief Education Officer
"We have a survey that we have sent out to all schools, and I can share that with you. We're asking schools about how many children are in a classroom because they need to bear in mind that social distancing must be 3 to 6 feet. We need to ensure that there are enough hand-wash basins in schools, that there is clean water for children to wash their hands, that there is soap, paper towel, or some kind of towel for children to wash their hands. We're advising schools to ensure that children wash their hands at like every 2 hours, 2 or 3 times for the morning, maybe as soon as they come in, before the break, after the break, and before going to lunch. So, we are going to provide training to teachers on how to properly prepare for the opening of school. They must sanitize. They must clean and mop regularly. They must use some kind of bleach."
"In the bigger schools, they will have an issue. If you look at a school as big as Holy Redeemer, with classrooms the average size of about 25 or 30, they will not be able to have normal school [hours]. Every child can't come at the same time. They may have to start a new shift system. If they are able to find another location, then that would be fine."
Reporter
"When you have kids who are also going be having the breathing difficulties that come with wearing the mask, is there a concern that the children may be resistant to having to wear something that's cumbersome on their face and their mouth?"
Dr. Carol Babb
"It is cumbersome. It's very cumbersome for me. When I have it on, I have difficulty breathing. So, we're hoping that before now and August, that the Ministry of Health will advise us. We can't do it on our own. We must get advice from the Ministry of Health. And you are right, it will be difficult for young children to wear a mask. They will take it off. They will put it down. They may have access to more germs. You know how children are. They won't keep it on."
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