Statement from the Burnaby Board of Education
Following a unanimous decision at a Special Board Meeting this morning, the Burnaby Board of Education is amending mask wearing requirements to include students from Kindergarten to Grade 3. This is an expansion from the current mandate for Grades 4-12.
Beginning Monday October 4, the Board will require all students in K-12 to wear masks while indoors at school, unless medically, developmentally, behaviourally or otherwise legitimately precluded from doing so. Staff will continue to work with students and families in a positive and supportive way regarding mask wearing.
The Board is grateful to Fraser Health’s Medical Officer for meeting on an urgent basis yesterday evening. Her assurance that masks are an effective layer of protection for all students when used in concert with other health and safety measures informed the Board’s decision to promptly implement this new mask requirement for K-3 students.
The decision by the Board to meet with the Medical Health Officer for Fraser Health was made in a motion unanimously passed by Trustees at their public meeting on September 28 to urge consideration of additional public health measures to increase mask wearing in schools. The Board will continue to work with the Medical Health Officer to ensure that health and safety measures in Burnaby schools are based on public health guidance.
Posted September 30, 2021