Since students started attending physical classes in late July of 2021, there has been a rampant surge of COVID-19 cases among children and adolescents. Because of this, governments have shifted priorities, now paying more attention to strike the perfect balance between resuming in-person classes and keeping students safe from COVID-19.
Among the various efforts that have been implemented include adopting hybrid learning models to minimize the volume of students on campus, vaccination mandates for students set to attend physical classes, and more stringent health and safety measures to be observed in school.
Updated Health and Safety Guidelines for British Columbia Schools
At the beginning of October, the British Columbia Government announced new guidelines to foster the health and safety of students. Among them is requiring masks for students in kindergarten to Grade 3.
This is an extension of the existing guidelines that required mask-wearing for students in grades 4 and up. Now, even lower levels will need to wear their face masks inside school buildings, during classes, and while in bus transit to and from school.
Other health and safety guidelines in place for safe back-to-school learning include:
- Daily health checks
- Frequent hand washing
- Improved ventilation systems on campus
- Staggered recess and lunch breaks
- Managed class transitions
- Staying home when sick
The updated measures are in response to concerns from parents about the safety of their children. With the Public Health Office and BC Centre for Disease Control recognizing the importance of in-person learning for children’s social and educational well-being, the government is consistently coming up with new guidelines to help students, faculty, and parents feel more secure as they report back on campus.
Setting an Example for Global Education Amid COVID-19
The virus is continuously evolving to more dangerous and transmissible variants, which calls for additional health and safety measures. The British Columbia government announced that it will continue to update its guidelines and work with schools to improve in-person learning and foster safety amid the pandemic.
With set measures in place and the effort to continually advance in-person education while curbing the spread of the virus, the British Columbia Government is setting an example for school districts around the world. Other regions should take inspiration from the BC Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings and pave the way for safe and effective learning amid a pandemic.
A Mask That Fosters Safety While Assisting in Effective Learning
Usual surgical or cloth masks cover the face from the nose down and hinder interactive and effective education. According to speech-language pathologists, masks hamper important communication aids, such as non-verbal cues, lip-reading, and word-to-sound association.
With mask-wearing getting more stringent, teachers and speech-language experts recommend using clear masks that are equipped with a clear plastic panel, making the mouth more visible and aiding effective communication.
Jelli M1 masks hit two birds with one stone: assisting valuable in-person learning while providing superior protection against COVID-19 with its 97% filtration efficiency. Choose Jelli M1 clear face masks for your kids today.