Quebec to lift mask mandate in classrooms as of March 7; teachers say they feel disrespected
CTV
Students will no longer be required to wear a face mask while sitting in class as of March 7, Quebec’s Ministry of Education announced Tuesday.
Masks will still need to be worn in common areas, such as hallways, and on school buses.
Pre-school students will also only be required to wear the face mask during transportation to and from school. Quebec's teachers, though, say they were not consulted prior to Tuesday on whether students should continue to wear masks while in class to protect against COVID-19.
"This is something that we've had trouble with from the very start of the pandemic," said Heidi Yetman, president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers. "The health authority does not know what it's like to be a teacher inside a classroom... The health authority has never stepped inside a Grade 1 classroom."
Whenever there are government announcements related to education, Yetman noted, "We get called into a meeting 15 minutes prior to be told what's going to be announced."
