Teachers and school staff have been, if not the forgotten element of the pandemic, then the most taken for granted, surely.
Our kids will return to school, the government decreed, and it was just assumed that teachers and other school staff would be there to welcome them. However, teachers had to put aside any anxiety they had about being cooped up in a closed room with 30 children. Now they are labouring under the weight of rising COVID-19 infection rates and while the rest of society considers whether wearing a mask in public is worthwhile or not, teachers and school staff wish they could have that choice. Because you know they’d probably opt for the mask.
Right now, students are not required to wear masks and, although many are wearing them, not all are. Our schools are probably the safest work environment when it comes to following pandemic protocol but it’s no guarantee. The SD72 Board of School Trustees raised the flag for local employees and hopefully, it’s a sentiment that spreads around the province.
During the pandemic, we’ve saluted our medical frontline workers and our service employees, now perhaps it’s time to spare a thought for school employees.