Nearly 10,000 sign online petition asking for a better back-to-school plan

Every few seconds, the dial on a Change.org petition turns, adding more signatures of support asking the Saskatchewan government to reconsider its Safe Schools Plan.

So far, there are nearly 10,000 signatures from people across the province.

The government’s plan, released Tuesday, has received support from some for its approach to keeping the return to classes as normal as possible Sept. 1.

But it has also drawn heavy criticism from others who are worried, anxious or upset that not enough is being done to protect the health and safety of students, teachers and custodial staff.

Titled “Saskatchewan Needs A Better Back-To-School Plan,” it calls on the province to adopt several measures, including reducing class sizes, providing masks for students, a plan for COVID-19 testing in schools and additional funding to protect workers and children.

Petition co-author Charles Smith, who’s been critical of the Saskatchewan Party in the past, says the current petition crosses political spectrums.

“We’re getting all these messages from governments,” he said. “We have to physically distance, we have to wear masks indoors, we have to be very careful with how we interact. That’s the message we’re getting from public health officials. And yet we’re saying those things everywhere in public except our schools.”

He believes the petition, written with Kirsten J. Fisher, reflects the level of anxiety across the province. He says the provincial government has had months to come up with a detailed plan, and what was presented was too ambiguous.

“To me, that’s bizarre given how anxious people are, and I think that anxiety is why people are signing this petition,” Smith said.

“It’s not just about kids. It’s about teachers and staff and you know what could happen if the virus happens in a school and what happens in the community if it comes back to families.”

Education Minister Gordon Wyant said Tuesday that physical distancing wouldn’t likely be practical in schools. But physical contact would be discouraged, and there would be directional arrows in schools, monitoring of common spaces, additional outdoor learning opportunities and assigned entrances and exits.

There will not be a reduction in class size, and students at this stage won’t be required to wear a mask. The provincial government does have plans to potentially mandate that if recommended by the chief medical health officer, along with other measures, such as placing kids in cohorts, and even a return to home-based learning, depending on the situation.

That’s not enough, argues Smith.

“We’ve seen evidence from other jurisdictions across Europe how it could work and be effective,” he said. “We just haven’t implemented any of those here, and we’re asking why and what the delay is?”

According to Change.org, there are at least two other petitions in Saskatchewan calling for either masks to be made mandatory in schools, or changes to the current back-to-school plans.