A group of B.C. teachers says the provincesa国际传媒檚 COVID response is causing more harm than good to B.C. students.

The group issued an open letter to B.C. teachers April 26 and called the response to COVID sa国际传媒渙ut of balancesa国际传媒� in relation to children.

sa国际传媒淲e feel teachers have relinquished the bond of their profession out of fear; our risks are not as great as what has been identified.sa国际传媒�

The signatories then ask B.C. teachers to join them. sa国际传媒淲e implore you to add your voices to ours. Teachers have a part in ensuring children keep the right to their mental and physical health.sa国际传媒�

B.C. Educators for Human Rights (BCEHR) signatories, Tabitha Krauskopf (Prince George school district), Anna Chambers (Langley school district), Sarah Rowat (North Okanagan school district), Jessie Duncan-Wersta (private-school system), Jolene Devcic Ryall (North Vancouver school district), Emilie Perron (Vancouver school district), and Meghan Taylor-Macdonald are all B.C. teachers.

sa国际传媒淐OVID-19 mitigation measures are having a detrimental impact on our children and youth,sa国际传媒� reads the letter.

The letter goes through a list of reasons why BCEHR thinks the sa国际传媒渞esponse to COVID is out of balance,sa国际传媒� including their assertions that: sa国际传媒渢he risk of dying of COVID-19 in British Columbia is 0.03 per cent sa国际传媒� the risk of dying in a car crash in 2019 was approximately 1.22 per cent; asymptomatic spread is rare (0.7 per cent or less); two out of 45,000 teachers in B.C. have been in ICU for COVID. No deaths reported thus far; 211 out of 45,000 teachers in B.C. have WorkSafeBC claims for contracting COVID within the education sector,sa国际传媒� among others. (Read the full letter below.)

Krauskopf said her nascent groupsa国际传媒攚hich has only been together for about three weeks and already has 50 members and risingsa国际传媒攆elt obligated to write the letter because teachers are essentially caregivers.

sa国际传媒淢ost of us got into teaching because we wanted to make a difference.sa国际传媒� She said teachers are there to protect, care for and help children. She added mask wearing and non-pharmaceutical interventions that children have to endure are causing them harm. sa国际传媒淎s professionals working with kids, I donsa国际传媒檛 know how we can stay silent.sa国际传媒�

Krauskopf cited an incident where a young girl fell into a panic attack because she left her sweater outside.

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sa国际传媒淥ther kids were playing, and she knew she wasnsa国际传媒檛 supposed to cross social-distancing boundaries, and she worked herself into a panic,sa国际传媒� Krauskopf said. sa国际传媒淭hat shouldnsa国际传媒檛 be happening. Itsa国际传媒檚 such a small problem thatsa国际传媒檚 been made into such a big thing, that she would be afraid to go out and get her sweater off the playground when the risk outside is almost nothing.sa国际传媒�

Krauskopf said shesa国际传媒檚 also witnessed kids panicking because they were having a hard time breathing and wouldnsa国际传媒檛 take their masks off out of fear.

She also cited mental health issues. sa国际传媒淵ou can feel it. Itsa国际传媒檒l go okay, but depending on whatsa国际传媒檚 happening in the community, or when new health orders are circulated, you can feel how it changes in the classroom and with the kids. They are more depressed and they act out more.sa国际传媒�

Krauskopf said she hopes the letter raises awareness among B.C.sa国际传媒檚 teachers and empowers them to speak up.

sa国际传媒淎 lot of (the measures) are designed to make people feel safer, but children are at very low risk from COVID.sa国际传媒�

She said she wants to empower parents too and let them know teachers are concerned about their kids.

Krauskopf was shocked when she started looking into the mental health status of children over the course of pandemic containment measures.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檝e been massive increases in suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and self harm in children as young as nine.sa国际传媒�

Krauskopf said Kids Help Phone received 4 million calls in 2020, more than double the amount (1.9 million) they received in 2019. And she cited that said McMaster Childrensa国际传媒檚 Hospital in Hamilton has seen a massive spike in youth suicide attempts.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not just kids. Families are struggling. And child abuse in the home is escalating too,sa国际传媒� she noted. sa国际传媒淐OVID is terrible, and itsa国际传媒檚 really affecting people, but we need to widen the lens now and start looking at how we can help children.sa国际传媒�

She said that help includes a relaxation of mask-wearing rules in schools and a decrease in some of the social-distancing measures. She also wants to see sports reopen for children.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檇 like kids to just be able to start being kids again, especially when the risks are so low outside.sa国际传媒�

B.C. Educators for Human Rights can be found at .

FULL LETTER FROM B.C. EDUCATORS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS:

editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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