BC Teachers Left in Dark and Out in Open
Another Surrey school has been put under lockdown for two weeks. This comes days after local music teacher Darlene Lourenco said she contracted COVID-19 from her classroom. Darlene spent several days in the ICU and feels it is no less than a miracle she is back home. Many such stories go unnoticed.
In an open letter to the parents last week, BCTF President Teri Mooring talked about encouraging children to wear masks in school. Mooring said, “The school community has come together and made mask wearing normal and expected. It really helps everyone in our schools feel safer.”
As per the latest measures, schools are not considered a public place, at least classrooms. Children are not considered spreaders. “The COVID-19 exposures started almost as soon as schools opened, and now we know there has likely been in-school transmission at multiple sites. The first month has been filled with confusing and inconsistent public reporting, online speculation, and serious lags between an exposure and effective contact tracing,” said Mooring in the letter.
Mask wearing is just one of the issues. We spoke to two Surrey teachers who revealed that lack of transparency with respect to exposures was the key problem. “We are just told there was an exposure. No names, no class, not even if it was a staff member or a kid in my class. At least 4-5 kids are absent every day, there’s no way to know if they were exposed,” says a very upset teacher whose senior dad lives with her. She is scared, worried, and angry but at the same time understands why schools are important. Her own child goes to school so she can work. She is just like any other frontline worker. But unfortunately, her job is not considered that “critical”. “I feel teachers are seen as one dimensional. It’s like no one expects us to have families or even considers us humans,” she adds.
Edited Version
One more Another Surrey school has been put under lockdownclosed for two weeks following several COVID-19 cases. This comes just days after local music teacher Darlene Lourenco was reported to be in the ICU, fighting for her life. said she contracted COVID-19 from her classroom. After Darlene spentding a fortnight several days in the ICUhospital, Darlene said and feels it is no less than a miracle she is back home.
Darlene’s story triggered a series of protests across the province. Many such stories go unnoticed.
In an open letter to the parents last week, BC Teachers’ Federation President Teri Mooring wrote an open letter to parents, urging them to talked about encouraginge their children to wear masks in school. Mooring Teri saidwrote, “The school community has come together and made mask wearing normal and expected. It really helps everyone in our schools feel safer.”
The BCTF was forced to step in as health officials continued to have different rules for As per the latest measures, sschools. For example, schools are not considered a public places and now follow “relaxed” health screening guidelines, at least classrooms. , as cChildren hildren are not considered spreaders. However, statistics tell a different story. According to Teri, “The COVID-19 exposures started almost as soon as schools opened, and now we know there has likely been in-school transmission at multiple sites. The first month has been filled with confusing and inconsistent public reporting, online speculation, and serious lags between an exposure and effective contact tracing,” said Mooring in the letter.
Lack of mask mandate Mask wearing is just one of the issues. We spoke to tTwo Surrey teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed who revealed that the main problem is lack ofzero transparency with respect toaround exposures was the key problem. “We are just told there was an exposure. No names, no class, or not even if it whether it was a staff member or a kid in my class. At least 4––5 kids are absent every day, there’s no way to of knowing if they were exposed,” says a very upset teacher who lives withse her senior dadfather lives with her. She is scared, worried, and angry but at the same time She understands believes in the importance of why schools and education. are important. Her own child goes to school so she can work. She is just like any other frontline worker. But The problem is unfortunately, her job is not considered that “critical”. “I feel teachers are seen as one dimensional. It’s like no one expects us to have families or even considers us humans,” she adds.
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