New Brunswick's COVID-19 back-to-school plan expected next week

FREDERICTON -

New Brunswick’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is working on its “updated guidance” for the upcoming school year and a spokesperson says it should be released next week.

Anglophone school districts acknowledge parents have questions, and said Tuesday on social media they will be sharing information with families directly once they have received it from the department.

Some parents are hoping to see protocols and precautions in place within schools, despite the province being restriction-free.

“It’s a little bit controversial but I do think that teachers should have to have their vaccine,” said Kelsey Wierdsma, whose son is entering Grade 1. “I think that we need to keep the decreased classroom sizes, limit the mixing of groups, and I think the province should look at seriously updating ventilation systems in schools so that, you know, God forbid, if anything were to happen in the future – they would have that system in place.”

Jeremy Boucher, whose child is also attending Grade 1, would also like to see protocols in place.

“I’m more concerned sending my daughter back to school next month than I was last year,” he said on social media.

But another parent says they would like to see things return to how they were pre-COVID-19, so that their daughter can play sports and go to dances.

The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association says they will listen to what public health experts advise when it comes to returning to school.