As COVID-19 cases rise throughout the province, teachers' unions are urging the government to heed to expert opinions to make schools safer.
The four unions representing teachers in schools across the province assembled the experts to present evidence of their health and safety concerns to the Ontario Labour Relations Board. However, the OLRB dismissed the unions' case before hearing from the experts.
The experts assembled by the unions continue to advocate for smaller class sizes for improved physical distancing and smaller cohorts.
"We all want to see back-to-school succeed in Ontario. That's why masking and reduced class sizes are so important for the protection of child health, the health of teachers and staff and the health of our wider communities," said Dr. David Fishman, Epidemiologist at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
The unions also presented evidence from Dr. Jeffrey Siegel, a professor with the University of Toronto who specializes in filtration and ventilation. Siegel noted that as heating systems are turned on in schools ensuring ventilation systems are updated becomes even more important.
"There are decades of research that show improved academic performance in the form of standardized tests, improved cognitive function and cognitive performance, reduced absenteeism," said Dr. Siegel. "Improving ventilation and filtration will have definite benefits in reducing the transmission of this disease but will also have benefits long after the pandemic."
All four education unions continue to demand smaller class sizes, masks for all students and better ventilation from the Ministry of Education.