The superintendent of the Grande Prairie and Public School Division says the government’s strategy to reintroduce masking and other measures in schools is an action people across the community can get behind. Sandy McDonald says he understands there are diverse opinions on mask-wearing, but he feels the provincial government is in a better position to make sweeping health-related decisions more so than a school division.
“In the school division, we don’t feel well prepared to make public health decisions; we don’t have the training, we’re not doctors, we don’t have access to the data,” he says. “But, we are committed to always taking action to support the health and safety of our staff, students, and our community, and this is an action we can take to do that.”
The day before the provincial announcement was made last week, the GPPSD board debated reimplementing a mandatory masking strategy but the motion was defeated. McDonald says that while the school division may not have had direct involvement in the province’s decision, the important takeaway must be that it’s a step to try to protect and health of students, staff, and administration.
“Regardless of the reason, [or] how it came about, the intent of it is something we fully commit to and we want to do our part to keep everyone safe and healthy.”
Masking is mandatory for all students in grades four and up, as well as staff and teachers in all grades. Elementary schools are also required to implement class cohorts. Students 18 and under are exempt from wearing a mask or maintaining a two-metre distance when engaged in physical activity.