Education minister defends policy on extracurricular vaccinations

Saskatchewan’s education minister is defending a policy that would allow unvaccinated teenagers to play sports with other students, vaccinated and unvaccinated alike.

Earlier this week, in a letter sent out to school divisions, Dustin Duncan made clear the province’s position that students couldn’t be stopped from engaging in in-class or extracurricular activities in schools over their vaccination status.

On Thursday, Duncan defended the position.

“I just don’t think it’s appropriate that we would limit the opportunities for students to partake as fully as possible in the school year, based on a decision that either they, or perhaps their parents, made for them,” said Duncan.

The letter was triggered by complaints from constituents, according to Duncan, who were upset about a vaccination policy at an upcoming volleyball tournament.

“Obviously this is not just about one tournament – I want to be clear about that,” said Duncan. “We have other activities that are going on in school that are school-based through this holiday season coming up and beyond.”

Duncan said the government wants to see as few cases in school as possible, but also there are lots of layers of protection to keep cases as low as possible – and that will continue.

The minister said he considers extracurriculars a part of the school and school year, and they’re an important part for a lot of students. He pointed out there are many students for whom this will be the third school year that COVID has impacted and it has been negative for many.

“So we want to have students be able to enjoy as much of a normal school year as possible – understanding what the concerns are – but we have to take into account a variety of factors, not just COVID-19,” said Duncan.

Duncan said the intent of the letter was to clarify the expectations of school divisions.

When it comes to staff who may have concerns about unvaccinated students being a threat, Duncan said teachers have been eligible for vaccinations for a long time so there’s no reason they wouldn’t be vaccinated.

And to parents who might be concerned about their vaccinated children being around those who are unvaccinated, Duncan said those parents made the best decision they could by getting their child vaccinated, and that’s all they can control regardless of what people around them are doing.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) called the letter from the minister an example of “lack of leadership, minimal communication and mixed messaging” in a tweet.

It said extracurriculars often involve students, staff and volunteers from multiple communities “which could often require heightened protective health measures.”

Duncan had said that, to his understanding, the decision to have a vaccine mandate at the volleyball tournament was made with the consultation of local medical health officers.

In its tweets, the STF said the direction from the minister in the letter impedes the ability and autonomy of boards to act based on local medical health officer recommendations.

The NDP’s education critic, Carla Beck, echoed some of the STF’s criticisms, saying the response planning team needs to be reinstated.

“I think that lack of access to that central body, that response planning team, has added to a lot of the confusion here,” said Beck.

Beck said Duncan has previously said decisions should be made at a local level with local health officers, and that what was done with the volleyball tournament in question.

“But we see the minister, when he doesn’t like that or when he gets a phone call at his office, he sees fit to send out a letter to mandate those boards,” said Beck.

Beck said what she’s hearing most clearly right now is a sense of frustration about mixed messaging.