THUNDER BAY -- The head of the Thunder Bay division of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario says teachers and other school staff were caught off guard by an announcement from Lakehead Public Schools mandating they wear face shields or goggles when interacting with students.
Mike Judge said he’s had lots of questions about the decision, which came down on Wednesday from senior administration at the board.
“It kind of came out of the blue to us. It sounds to me there was maybe a misunderstanding between what the health unit was saying and recommending to administration and how that message was initially received,” Judge said.
“Based on assessments that were made yesterday, as far as I understand, that new advisory has been put in place that face shields (or goggles) arer now mandatory across the board.”
The move came on the same day the public board announced the first positive test in their school system, after a student at Ecole Gron Morgan Public School was kept home last week with symptoms later tested positive for COVID-19.
Board employees were told that any staff working with students in junior kindergarten through Grade 12, including staff who supervise students outside the classroom, must now wear eye protection when interacting with students.
“We have staff who are in quarantine because they were not wearing eye protection even though they maintained a two-metre distance from students,” the memo reads. “We have spoken with public health and they expect both to be worn for indoor and outdoor interactions.”
Asked if he was concerned about administration possibly misinterpreting the health unit guidelines and possibly putting his membership at risk of contracting COVID-19, Judge took a diplomatic approach.
“There’s so much information flowing. I try not to point the finger. I’d like to look toward solutions as opposed to looking backward for mistakes. Are there concerns? Sure. Are we learning as we go every day? Absolutely,” Judge said.
“I think everyone is making their best effort to make the best decisions based on the information at hand. Is it concerning that we might get something wrong at some point? Absolutely. Are we going to do our best going forward to get it right? Absolutely.”
Is it the right move? Judge said it’s not really appropriate for him to pass judgment at this time.
“We’re trying to understand it and still seeking information before I can give you an informed opinion on that. I know I’m receiving lot of questions about why now and not before … It’s challenging for sure. The masks alone are hard to work in all day long, and now throw in a face shield? So there are people that do have concerns with asthma or various respiratory conditions and that can make things challenging,” Judge said.
The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board has been asked to confirm if the policy applies to their schools.
