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By Gates Guarin

Schools not permitted to impose mask mandates, premier says

Oct 31, 2022 | 3:34 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Premier Danielle Smith is stirring up criticism based on a statement regarding mask mandates in schools. Smith announced Saturday her government is exploring ways to block elementary, junior high and high schools from implementing mask mandates going forward.

In a statement released over the weekend, Smith said in part: “[t]he 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.”

Last week, a provincial judge ruled that an order back in February which lifted the requirement for children to wear masks in schools was “unreasonable” because it was a decision not made by Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, but by cabinet. The premier said she has directed Justice Minister Tyler Shandro to examine whether an appeal of the decision would be appropriate.

Jason Schilling, Alberta Teachers’ Association president, says removing a tool that is in place for public health safety, like masking mandates, is short-sighted. Schilling says that the decision should not be made by the government.

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“We should be listening to our medical officers of health, we should be listening to scientists, we should be listening to the latest research about how COVID, for example, is adapting and changing, or any future pandemic that we should happen to see down the road,” Schilling says. “Those decisions should be made by those individuals for legislation, and not be left up to politicians to make.”

Schilling adds there should be some sort of autonomy when it comes to the decision-making process.

“If the government wants to put regulations in place around this, parents still have choices to do whatever they want; they can insist their children wear masks, the children can wear masks if they want to.”

Medicine Hat school boards declined to comment on the matter, as it is an issue of political nature. One spokesperson did say they were taking their direction from public health officials.