The Editor,
My name is Emma Sullivan-Collins, I am in Grade 7 from Fraser River Middle School and I am participating in the Dec. 1 "BC Student Sick Out" campaign.
The reason for this protest is that [we] students do not agree with the decisions the schools, the Ministry of Health and the government of Canada have been making.
These are some examples of the precautions that all schools have not been taking:
- Students do not have to wear masks inside the classroom. To achieve this goal we could make them mandatory.
- Having the exploratory teacher/music teacher see everyone in the school because if she/he/they/them get sick then the whole school is at risk of being sick. To achieve this goal we could hire exploratory student teachers to certain cohorts to lower the risk of spreading COVID-19.
- We could put the desks six feet away from each other so that the students can social distance because not all the students are wearing masks. To achieve this goal we could lower class sizes.
We want to be and feel safe in school. Now some students and teachers may not appreciate these rules because some people do not like having to wear masks inside and outside all the time. Who can blame them? I don't like wearing my mask but it's for the safety of me, my friends, my parents, my teachers and other people in my community.
If the school could help solve these problems or adjust some of these measures, that would help and comfort the rest of the students who agree with me.
If these changes are made, parents will feel a lot more comfortable with their child going to school, and teachers will feel a lot more safe in their workspace.
Emma Sullivan-Collins, New Westminster
