Teachers' union urging Quebec to install air purifiers in poorly ventilated classrooms
Quebec's major teachers union federation (FAE) is urging the government to install air purifiers in all classrooms where ventilation is deemed inadequate.
As the Omicron variant wave sweeps the province, "air quality should be at the heart of the strategy to combat COVID-19 in schools," the FAE said in a news release.
The majority of primary and secondary students are expected to return to face-to-face classes on Jan. 17.
But some, including those in specialized classes for students with disabilities, returned to school as early as Jan. 3.
Often, these are school populations that are "heavily handicapped and for whom compliance with rules related to, among other things, the wearing of procedural masks and physical distancing is particularly difficult, if not impossible," the release said.
In Montreal's school services centre alone, "since January 3, 16 of the 24 classes have been closed because of outbreaks," said FAE president Sylvain Mallette in a telephone interview.
While the settings in question come with unique issues, he said the numbers are a taste of the problems that could be found in many classrooms.
"Teachers feel that not all safety measures are in place," he said, calling for teachers to have access to N95 masks.
The ventilation issue is not new.
Last April, the Legault government revealed that just over half of the 15,000 classrooms tested had satisfactory ventilation.
About 1,000 other classrooms were removed from the calculation because of faulty or missing measurements, after a Radio-Canada investigation revealed that the testing protocol was not followed in the majority of cases studied, distorting the results. The investigation led the FAE to be suspicious of the department's data for the remaining 15,000 classrooms.
The government promised that CO2 readers, which measure air quality, would be installed in all classrooms before the start of the school year. This deadline was then pushed back to the fall and then to mid-December.
"Today, thousands of teachers and hundreds of thousands of students in Quebec are paying the price for the government's erratic management of ventilation and air quality," said Mallette.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 11, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW This Canadian scientist combines passion for history, archeology and genetics to solve ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles
Turi King takes pride in her work solving ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles – including a centuries-old mystery involving an infamous British king.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22-million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Israeli strikes in central Gaza kill at least 11 as the U.S. pushes a ceasefire plan
Palestinian health officials said Israeli strikes killed 11 people overnight into Monday, including a woman and three children, in central Gaza.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as its first woman president
Mexico's projected presidential winner Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first woman president in the country's 200-year history.
Expect the cost of your airfare to continue to rise, an aviation trade group and industry heads warn
The cost of your next flight is likely to go up. That's the word from the International Air Transport Association, which held its annual meeting Monday in Dubai.
Oilers advance to Stanley Cup final by beating Stars in Game 6
The Edmonton Oilers rode their special teams and goaltender to victory on Sunday, beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 to win the National Hockey League's Western Conference and earn a berth in the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them.
Mackenzie Hughes 'gutted' after falling short at RBC Canadian Open
Mackenzie Hughes had the dream scenario of winning the RBC Canadian Open in his hometown within reach but then it all slipped away.