The B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) has sent a letter to the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and after not receiving a reply are now making their concerns known to the public surrounding reporting and tracking of COVID-19 cases within schools.
According to the BCTF, the letter expressing their concerns and requesting a formal meeting was sent to the office of Dr. Henry almost a week ago. Now, the BCTF has taken their concerns to social media in hopes the message is received.
Teri Mooring, BC Teachers’ Federation President, says the union is seeking more transparency, more timely information when it comes to exposures in schools, and additional safety measures put in place in order to help limit the transmission of the virus.
“Teachers, support staff, and administrative staff are all doing our utmost to keep children and their families safe but, without timely information, our efforts are significantly hampered,” Mooring writes in the letter.
We continue to push for more transparency in COVID19 reporting and contact tracing within #bced. Read Teri Mooring's recent letter to the Office of the Provincial Health Officer here https://t.co/W5V4vWdvZO. #bcpoli
— BCTF (@bctf) September 30, 2020
The BCTF highlights a “lack of consistency” across health authorities when it comes to reporting suggesting that while Fraser Health has been communicating well, Vancouver Coastal Health has been dropping the ball. The letter points out the fact that Vancouver Coastal Health has only reported one exposure, while news reports suggest there have been more.
“We understand the negative impacts of rumours and speculation especially in the context of a pandemic, this is the reason we take the position that information regarding schools needs to be shared in an open, transparent, and timely manner by the local health authorities,” states Mooring in the letter.
“In the absence of this openness, the public sharing of information will continue, and we are concerned this could lead to an undermining of public confidence in both the education system and in the health authorities.”
Mooring and the BC Teachers Federation is calling on Dr. Henry to incorporate faculty into the contact tracing process as well.
“In classroom settings, teachers and other education workers come into close contact with students when they circulate to support student learning, and teachers are a source of additional information in identifying close contacts of individual students,” reads the letter.
The teachers’ union is requesting a meeting with Dr. Henry in order to express their concerns and adapt accordingly.
“It is in the spirit of co-operation and with deep concern for the safety of students, school staff, and public confidence in the public education system in BC, that we request a meeting with a representative from your office to discuss our concerns,” says Mooring.
Graham Cox
