The BC Teachers’ Federation is urging Premier John Horgan to reduce class sizes to no more than 15 people in response to their concern with growing cases of COVID-19 in the Fraser Health region.
Teri Mooring, the president of the BC Teachers' Federation, shared the federation’s concern in a letter posted to Twitter on Saturday.
“Over the past weekend, almost 1,000 more British Columbians have been diagnosed with COVID-19 with the vast majority in the Fraser Health region. This alarming surge in cases is of deep concern to all British Columbians but especially so to the teachers, staff and parents of students attending the hundreds of schools that have seen exposures to the coronavirus,” Mooring’s letter reads.
Mooring addressed that class sizes as they are now are ‘virtually impossible’ to maintain physical distance in the classrooms and that in other districts they have already capped classes.
“Mr. Premier, for the safety of everyone in our school system, we implore you to order Ministry of Education officials to work with school districts in Fraser Health to reduce class sizes and allow for proper physical distancing.”
#BCed teachers in Surrey demonstrating what an actual class looks like. Physical distancing is not possible, poor ventilation. COVID19 will only spread further in environments like this. Reduce class sizes now. #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/rjqzoZ5W6x
— BCTF (@bctf) November 14, 2020
In another twitter post, one teacher shared a photo in response to show what a classroom of two dozen students looks like in the Fraser Health Region, stating, “COVID19 will only spread further in environments like this. Reduce class sizes now.”
