Masks won’t be mandatory in Ontario schools this fall

Masks will be provided to staff and students who wish to continue wearing them if they are concerned about COVID-19, the education ministry says.
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Aug. 9, 2022
Kristin Rushowy

Masks will not be mandatory in Ontario schools this fall, but will be provided to staff and students who wish to continue wearing them if they are concerned about COVID-19, the Education Ministry says.

In a memo sent to directors of education late Friday afternoon, Deputy Minister Nancy Naylor said when classes resume in September, COVID-19 protocols will be the same as last spring, and that personal protective equipment as well as rapid tests will be provided.

“Continuing with this direction and based on the advice of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, masks will not be required for students, staff and visitors in schools, school board offices, or on student transportation,” Naylor wrote.

“We strongly encourage school boards and schools to actively promote respectful, welcoming and inclusive environments for individuals who choose to wear, or not to wear a mask within their school communities. The government will continue to provide free high-quality masks for students and staff and eye protection for staff, if they choose to use them.”

In the memo, obtained by the Star, Naylor also reiterated the province’s back-to-school plan, which includes tutoring, funding for mental health as well as a new focus on skilled trades.

“For the past two school years, Ontario’s students and their families, educators and school staff have demonstrated resiliency and flexibility in responding to changes to public health and workplace safety measures during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she wrote.

“The Ministry of Education remains committed to providing students with a normal return to school and to supporting an enriching school experience that enables academic success and lets students take advantage of the activities and programs that enhance classroom learning and build social and life skills.”

The province dropped the mask mandate in schools last March, although the Hamilton board decided it would continue insisting on masks to help staff and students feel safe -- even though such a move was not enforceable given the direction by Education Minister Stephen Lecce and chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore that they were no longer needed.

For staff who work with students who have special needs, N95 masks may be required depending on their duties.

Hand sanitizer will also be provided to boards, and enhanced cleaning routines are to continue in schools and on buses.

Naylor also noted the province has provided more than 100,000 HEPA units to help with ventilation in classrooms, and that every kindergarten class must have one.

Daily COVID-19 self-screening is also recommended for all students, staff and visitors, and anyone who feels sick should stay home/
Boards should still track absence rates and report any spikes to local public health officials, Naylor wrote.

Lecce told reporters late last month that rapid tests would continue and “we think it’s important to build confidence to reduce risk in addition to the HEPA filter investments in addition to (school) staff” and he encouraged those working in schools to get their second booster shot.

“They’re now eligible for that so we can all take steps individually,” Lecce said.

At that time, Lecce also said negotiations with all education unions continue and that school will start on time in September and that extracurricular clubs and sports must be offered.

He said after more than two years of the pandemic, parents will have “little tolerance” for any disruptions to their children’s education.

“I believe after two years of great difficulty, the right thing to do is to ensure (students return) to normal and to the full student experience, which includes clubs and extracurriculars, and so we are signalling our clear intent to have those services, those experiences, restored, and to support children,” Lecce said.

Extracurricular activities, however, are voluntary. Unions have not signalled that teachers would refuse to do them this fall but said it is up to individuals to decide.

All education union contracts expire at the end of August, and bargaining continues.

Even if new agreements aren’t reached by the start of the school year -- past bargaining has shown deals are typically not reached until much later -- that does not mean there will be immediate job action or that a strike could be called.

Meanwhile, labour unions held a rally at Queen’s Park on Monday as the legislature resumed, with representatives from the Ontario Federation of Labour, Ontario Nurses’ Association and Elementary Teachers of Toronto.

Interim NDP Leader Peter Tabuns said the government needs to cancel Bill 124, which limits most public sector wage increases to one per cent.

Although it is set to expire, Tabuns said “it would send a message to health-care workers, front-line workers across Ontario that you are valuable, that you make a difference, that your lives are valuable.”