Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, told Global News that the province must do better to ensure schools stay open permanently.
“We’ve been recommending that (COVID-19) vaccines be mandatory … to go to school, (and) it should be mandatory to be vaccinated if you’re eligible,” she said.
“So there’s a lot of work to be done in the education system in the next two weeks to make that reopening a permanent reopening: more support for staff, more N95 masks, more smaller class sizes. … We’ve got to make sure that this time, we get it right and that we’re not closing schools again after this.”
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As for Jake, he’s not sure if in-person learning will resume on Jan. 17, but he’s hopeful it does so he can get back to doing what he enjoys at school.
“It’s nice because I can work with my hands,” he said.
“It’s better than sitting at a computer all day with my feet up, staring at the same four walls.”
— with files from Gabby Rodrigues and Ryan Rocca
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
