9.88°C Vancouver

Aug 19, 2020 11:27 PM -

B.C. teachers' union calls for smaller classes, masks in back-to-school plan

Share On
b-c-teachers-union-calls-for-smaller-classes-masks-in-back-to-school-plan
President of the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) Teri Mooring is interviewed during a protest at the Victoria Convention Centre in Victoria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. The B.C. Teachers' Federation wants the province to reduce class sizes and make the use of masks mandatory wherever physical distancing isn't possible as part of its back-to-school plan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

The BC Teachers' Federation says it wants smaller classes and mandatory masks whereever possible as part of the provincial back-to-school plan amid the pandemic.

A statement from president Teri Mooring says the restart plan for Kindergarten to Grade 12 has made no change to classroom density and it's impossible to physical distance with 30 people in a classroom.

The union also wants dedicated funding for heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and expanding mandatory mask use for children aged 10 and older.

The provincial government has said masks will be required whenever students and teachers are outside their learning group when school resumes September 10th.

Latest news

rain-and-snow-alerts-in-effect-as-coastal-and-northern-b-c-brace-for-strong-weather-system
BCNov 20, 2025

Rain and Snow Alerts in Effect as Coastal and Northern B.C. Brace for Strong Weather System

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a pair of weather alerts for communities along British Columbia’s north and central coast, warning that a strong frontal system could bring significant rain and heavy mountain snow through the end of the week. The agency says areas from Bella Coola through Kitimat may receive as much as 70 millimetres of rain, raising the risk of water pooling on roads and possible washouts near rivers and creeks. The system is expected to weaken by Friday, but officials caution that changing conditions may still affect travel across coastal corridors. While t
senate-approves-citizenship-reform-for-lost-canadians-as-advocates-raise-adoption-concerns
CanadaNov 20, 2025

Senate approves citizenship reform for ‘Lost Canadians’ as advocates raise adoption concerns

Federal legislation designed to address long-standing gaps in Canada’s citizenship rules has cleared the Senate and is expected to become law before a court-imposed deadline early next year. The bill aims to resolve cases involving so-called Lost Canadians – individuals born abroad to Canadian parents who were themselves born outside the country and who lost access to citizenship because of restrictive rules adopted in 2009. The changes come after the Ontario Superior Court ruled last year that the previous one-generation limit on citizenship by descent was unconstitutional. Under the upda
AlbertaNov 20, 2025

Alberta auditor says failed lab privatization left public with $109 million bill

Alberta’s auditor general says the province’s attempt to shift community lab testing to a private operator resulted in significant financial losses and gaps in government oversight. A new report from Auditor General Doug Wylie estimates taxpayers absorbed roughly $109 million after the privatization effort collapsed. Wylie’s review found that senior officials in government advanced the plan despite internal warnings that the projected savings were unlikely. He says weaknesses in record keeping, financial analysis and contract oversight contributed to the breakdown of the agreement with D
CanadaNov 20, 2025

Two people dead and four others critically injured after early morning house fire in Brampton

Emergency crews in Brampton are investigating a deadly house fire that claimed the lives of two adults and left four others, including a child, in critical condition early Thursday. Peel Regional Police say the blaze erupted around 2:30 a.m. at a home on Banas Way, in a residential area near McLaughlin Road and Remembrance Road. Firefighters arrived to find the home heavily engulfed in flames. Two adults were pronounced dead at the scene. Police say three other adults and one child were transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities have not released the ages of the victim
seven-year-sentence-handed-down-for-port-moody-home-invasion-tied-to-cryptocurrency-theft
BCNov 19, 2025

Seven year sentence handed down for Port Moody home invasion tied to cryptocurrency theft

A man who carried out a violent home invasion in Port Moody last year as part of an attempt to steal cryptocurrency has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Court records show Tsz Wing Boaz Chan entered a guilty plea to break and enter, sexual assault and forcible confinement in connection with the April 27, 2024 incident. Port Moody Police say Chan was taken into custody last summer when he returned to Canada through Vancouver International Airport. Investigators allege the motive behind the robbery was the theft of digital currency, though police have not released information about the v

Related News