Teachers wish for government to come up with a firm plan of what our schools will look like after next Monday. Many COVID restrictions come off the books at that time but masks in our secondary schools will remain mandatory until at least the Easter break.

NLTA President Trent Langdon says teachers remain concerned as schools host on a daily basis large indoor gatherings of individuals who are not required to be vaccinated and for whom self-isolation rules have been relaxed.

Government has said that attendance averages 80 per cent across the province but Langdon says there are pockets where the rate is much less.

They’re also concerned about their ability to maintain physical distancing, the removal of contact tracing, notification of COVID-19 cases within school communities and shortages of substitute teachers.

The NLTA wants input into the decision-making regarding the K-12 system.

He says they have heard that masking will be part of school life but they need to see clear guidelines from government.