Critics call for Alberta school reopening plan as NDP pitches mitigation measures

Alberta students were supposed to be back in classrooms this week until a return to learning was delayed until at least Jan. 10. However, what that return to schooling will look like is still unknown.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange paused learning last week and announced the province will distribute 8.6 million home rapid tests and 16.5 million masks to schools when children return.

A spokesperson for the province said in a statement Tuesday that "further decisions on back to school will be communicated to parents no later than Thursday."

The opposition NDP and education groups are critical of the government's last-minute school plan announcements and are calling on Alberta to improve ventilation in classrooms when schooling returns.

"We need to try long-term solutions," said Wing Li with the advocacy group Support Our Students (SOS).

"I think these closures and waiting on the 11th hour for online or in-person, it's really exhausting and not effective."

Another concern for schools and a big reason for the extended break is the potential for staffing shortages. Alberta just reduced the mandatory isolation time for vaccinated people who test positive for COVID-19 to five days from 10 if they are asymptomatic.

Even with the shorter isolation period, the Alberta Teachers Association is calling for an increase of available substitute teachers to deal with the expected staff crunch. 

The NDP released a list of measures it wants to see the government implement, including upgraded air filtration in classrooms, moving substitute teachers onto contracts for the year, hiring mental health counsellors for every school, and the creation of a "learn-at-home fund" that would see each student receive between $500 and $750 if they are forced to stay home. 

"They're are all practical and reasonable steps that UCP could act on immediately to support students, staff and families," said NDP Education Critic Sarah Hoffman. 

Upgraded ventilation in classrooms and school buildings is a measure supported by the Alberta School Councils' Association (ASCA), too. 

"We would love for our children's classrooms to have filtration and ventilation that ensures they are safe to participate in their learning experiences so they can eat lunch together and not perpetually and indefinitely wear masks," said Brandi Rai, ASCA president. 

A request for an interview with LaGrange was not responded to by the time this story was published.