Air quality in classrooms a top priority, says Quebec education minister
Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville said Friday that air quality in schools is becoming his top priority.
The minister said that "there is no file on which I have put more time and energy."
He invited journalists to a news briefing specifically on ventilation, during which he revealed that one per cent of classrooms in Quebec were still problematic.
According to his most recent data, 724 classrooms have a weekly average CO2 concentration that exceeds 1,500 parts per million (ppm), while 72 classrooms exceed 2,000 ppm.
Drainville acknowledged that the ideal target is 1,000 ppm. He also acknowledged that the situation is likely to get worse this winter, when schools usually close their windows.
The Minister also predicted that the situation would get worse this winter, considering that schools usually close their windows.
"When the cold weather comes, these numbers may not be as good. Let's be honest. Is it going to be one per cent again? Probably not," he said.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of ventilation in schools had gained a lot of momentum. Drainville's predecessor, Jean-François Roberge, was accused of downplaying the problem.
"I appreciate the new minister's change of tone," Liberal education critic Marwah Rizqy tweeted Friday. Finally it's not a "helium-filled issue."
Without going so far as to criticize the former minister, Drainville said he had quickly asked his officials: "What are you doing? What are we doing?"
He sees the installation of CO2 readers in all 68,548 classrooms in the province to measure air quality in real-time as a positive step.
OPEN WINDOWS TO VENTILATE CLASSROOMS, MINISTER ADVISES
"We've installed CO2 readers everywhere ... We've installed air exchangers everywhere we've been asked to install them. The situation is not ideal, the situation is not resolved, but it is relatively under control," the education minister said.
"To talk about ventilation is also to talk about the fact that our school fleet is aging and we have to continue to make major investments."
In the meantime, he advises schools that are facing a "wave of infections" to open their windows this winter, despite the cold, taking into account the "comfort of the student."
"Three years after the beginning of this saga ... that we are still in the process … of opening the windows for a third winter, it is distressing," said Mélanie Hubert, president of the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE).
Hubert recalled in an interview that the data provided by the minister are averages, and that CO2 concentrations in classrooms often reach "1700, 2000 ppm."
However, she says she appreciates the seriousness of Drainville.
Drainville seemed much less jovial than Mr. Roberge may have seemed in recent years. I felt that Mr. Drainville was not trying to tell us that everything was fine," she said.
"He seemed to be aware that the problem was important and that it had not yet been resolved. It's still an interesting change of tone."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 2, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.