(Canadian Press)

By Canadian Press

appeal being looked into

Premier Smith won’t permit mask mandates in schools

Oct 29, 2022 | 1:10 PM

Premier Danielle Smith is all but guaranteeing that mask mandates will not return to schools.

In a statement released Saturday morning, Smith says:

“Our government will not permit any further masking mandates of children in Alberta’s K-12 education system. The detrimental effects of masking on the mental health, development and education of children in classroom settings is well understood, and we must turn the page on what has been an extremely difficult time for children, along with their parents and teachers.”

The statement comes a day after it was revealed that a judge had found the Alberta government’s decision in February to block school boards from imposing their own mask mandates was improper and unreasonable.

According to The Canadian Press, that case was filed by the Alberta Federation of Labour and the parents of a group of children who were at heightened risk of severe outcomes from contracting COVID-19.

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They argued that Alberta’s chief medical officer of health’s decision to rescind a masking order in Alberta schools was not her own but was made by Jason Kenney’s government, CP says.

The Court of King’s Bench judge also says Education Minister Adriana LaGrange overstepped her authority when she ordered school boards could not impose their own mask mandates.

Smith’s statement on Saturday went on.

“I have directed our Justice minister to assess whether an appeal of Thursday’s Kings Bench Court decision is appropriate, and have instructed our government’s ministers of Justice, Health and Education to alert me to any legislative or regulatory changes that may be necessary to reaffirm or clarify our government’s full authority with respect to this and other health and education matters.”