'Keep those protections in place': Students no longer require masks in classrooms starting Monday

As part of the provincial government’s plan to begin lifting health mandates, students will no longer be required to wear masks in classrooms starting on Monday.

“It’s really hard to understand the reasoning behind the lifting of mask mandates in schools given that cases are so high right now and we have had the highest number of pediatric cases and pediatric hospitalizations in this wave,” said Dr. Tehseen Ladha, a pediatrician.

“It inevitably means that transmission in schools will be even higher, more kids will become infected and ultimately, more kids will be hospitalized.”

Outside of Education Minister Adriana LaGrange’s Red Deer office, some protested the impending change.

“We want them to continue wearing masks to stop the transmission of COVID, from them getting it and to just keep everyone safe,” said Cassidy Simone, one protestor.

“This is not the time to relax safety measures, I’m furious that my students are going to be put at risk this way,” added Stephen Merredew, a Grade 9 teacher.

Other parents that spoke with CTV News Edmonton thought it was good the mask mandates for students in schools are being lifted, saying “kids don’t really like wearing them.”

“I’ve only had one encounter where a child hasn’t been very fond of masking and even then they were able to mask at the end of it,” said Ladha.

“If masking becomes something very normal that they do, and it has been for the past two years, it doesn’t really bother them and it doesn’t seem to impede their mental health or their development.”

In a tweet after the announcement that mask mandated in schools would be lifted for students, LaGrange said students “followed the rules diligently and now they deserve the chance just to be kids.” She added that students not wearing masks poses no harm to teachers.

Yesterday, Premier Kenney announced that mandatory masking requirements for K-12 students would be ending next week, but at least one teachers' union executive wants to fight to keep masks on children. I've shared my thoughts in this video. #AbEd #AbLeg pic.twitter.com/NIDW973Tg0

— Adriana LaGrange (@AdrianaLaGrange) February 10, 2022

“There are specific studies in schools and in child care centres showing that when children use masks there are fewer outbreaks,” said Ladha.

“It’s very ironic that the government has handed out medical masks just a week or two ago and has now lifted the mask mandate, I think that goes to show as well that the reasons behind that lifting were certainly not scientific.”

In a statement, the press secretary for the education minister said that other public health measures will remain in place in schools. This includes cohorting for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6, enhanced cleaning and masking requirements for adults in schools.

“In addition, students, parents/guardians, staff and visitors are encouraged to assess their personal risk factors and/or the risk factors for their families, and take precautions that make sense in their situations,” said Katherine Stavropoulos.

LaGrange also added that students can still wear masks in school if they want to.

“The key thing here is really, instead of doing the same thing over and expecting different results, we really do need to learn from past experience and keep those protections in place,” said Ladha.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Joe Scarpelli