Mobile classrooms, masks to be part of return to school in September
As schools in Prince Edward Island prepare to welcome students again in the fall, the province is assessing the need for extra space on a school-by-school basis.
Education Minister Brad Trivers told CBC that protocols are constantly changing, and now students will likely be asked to wear masks for part of the day in school.
'School-by-school' plan
Trivers said in some schools, multipurpose rooms will be used to offer teachers and students more classroom spaces.
"That's why we have to do a plan school by school," he told CBC News.
Students won't be asked to stay two metres apart while in class. Instead, they'll be kept in small groups throughout the day to minimize their contact with others.
Trivers said they may, however, be asked to wear a mask while moving through the halls.
"For example if you have grade 10 through 12 students that are moving between classes, they may be asked to don a mask while they're transitioning to the next class, but once they're in the class, they will be allowed to take it off," said Trivers.
"Same thing with school buses."
No expansion for West Royalty Elementary School
Trivers said that although West Royalty Elementary School is "strapped for space," he's decided to cancel the planned addition at the school. Two mobile classrooms have been added there instead.
"We're going to be prudent," said Trivers.
"We're going to invest in the aging schools that we have and fix them up and then we're going to wait until we have the numbers for sure before we do an expansion."
Two other schools — Montague Consolidated and Eliot River Elementary — are also being considered for mobile classrooms.
Trivers said while the schools won't exceed their allowed capacity, that measurement may need to be updated.
"I think the listed capacities were from a model of teaching that was in the past, and with the modern model of teaching, we need to look at the capacities to see if they're valid anymore," said Trivers.
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