In its first summary report on ventilation in Quebec’s schools, the Ministry of Education says the vast majority of classrooms are already compliant with air quality standards, as it prepares to carry out a $500-million plan to improve ventilation.
However, the teachers’ federation is calling for more transparency in the data to paint a more accurate picture of the situation in classrooms.
On Wednesday, the education ministry said 95 per cent of the classrooms recorded a weekly average carbon dioxide (CO2) reading of below 1,500 parts per million (ppm) based on data from Jan. 24.
It said less than 0.5 per cent of schools reported a level exceeding 2,000 ppm on a weekly average.
The province has already spent more than half of the $500 million earmarked for this, with $293 million spent since July 2020.
So far, 82,143 CO2 readers have been deployed to schools across Quebec out of the total 90,000 that were promised, covering about 92 per cent of schools. About a month ago, that number hovered around 63 per cent.
But a major teachers' union said the work so far leaves a lot to be desired.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), which represents more than 50,000 Quebec teachers, said “many” of the readers sent to schools so far are not yet functional.
Their concern comes as Quebec announced it will no longer require students to wear face masks in the classroom as of March 7.
"The weekly averages include instructional days, inclement weather breaks, lunch and recess times, and include one hour per day before and after students arrive. This is not serious,” said Sylvain Mallette, president of the FAE, in a statement.
He also called for more detailed numbers from the province.
"If the government is so convinced that the air quality in schools is good, they should make the detailed data public," Mallette said.
"With the averages provided, classrooms could have CO2 levels above 1500 ppm for two hours each day and still end up with a weekly average below the government's thresholds. This is unacceptable!”
The union also wants independent experts to review methodology used by the ministry to collect the CO2 data and then to file a public report.
CO2 monitors don't, in themselves, improve air quality. The government is spending more than half a billion dollars to equip 3,600 schools with the readers.
High levels of CO2 indicate air quality is poor and could contain airborne contaminants, including traces of COVID-19.
On top of the $293 million already spent, another $225 million will be spent to complete the work by the end of the year, the province said.
During a news conference on Wednesday, interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau said the removal of the mask mandate in the classroom was justified in order to address kids’ social and educational needs, particularly “vulnerable” children who have more difficulty learning or socializing.
