Swift reaction from Quebec parents, students to province's back-to-school plan

Quebec Families Voice Concerns About New School Reopening Measures

In August 2020, the Quebec government announced plans to return to schools that had been amended, triggering many parents and students. An announcement by Education Minister Jean-François Roberge met with confusion, and critics contradicted messaging. As part of the plan, students return to full class without physical distancing, and masks are required only for fifth graders in public areas and not classrooms.

Students like Serena Totera and Amanda Toledano have expressed concern about the lack of strong security measures and warn that the plan could trigger a second wave of Covid-19. Parents like Tanya Toledano criticized the contradiction between school guidelines and broader guidelines for public health. A petition has been launched that has been called on the government to implement smaller classes of sizes and stricter safeguards. Medical expert doctor Mitch Shulman also asked the government to rethink classroom setup.