A group of B.C. teachers says the province含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渙ut of balance含羞草研究社� in relation to children.

含羞草研究社淲e feel teachers have relinquished the bond of their profession out of fear; our risks are not as great as what has been identified.含羞草研究社�

The signatories then ask B.C. teachers to join them. 含羞草研究社淲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.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淐OVID-19 mitigation measures are having a detrimental impact on our children and youth,含羞草研究社� reads the letter.

The letter goes through a list of reasons why BCEHR thinks the 含羞草研究社渞esponse to COVID is out of balance,含羞草研究社� including their assertions that: 含羞草研究社渢he risk of dying of COVID-19 in British Columbia is 0.03 per cent 含羞草研究社� 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,含羞草研究社� among others. (Read the full letter below.)

Krauskopf said her nascent group含羞草研究社攚hich has only been together for about three weeks and already has 50 members and rising含羞草研究社攆elt obligated to write the letter because teachers are essentially caregivers.

含羞草研究社淢ost of us got into teaching because we wanted to make a difference.含羞草研究社� 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. 含羞草研究社淎s professionals working with kids, I don含羞草研究社檛 know how we can stay silent.含羞草研究社�

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

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含羞草研究社淥ther kids were playing, and she knew she wasn含羞草研究社檛 supposed to cross social-distancing boundaries, and she worked herself into a panic,含羞草研究社� Krauskopf said. 含羞草研究社淭hat shouldn含羞草研究社檛 be happening. It含羞草研究社檚 such a small problem that含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�

Krauskopf said she含羞草研究社檚 also witnessed kids panicking because they were having a hard time breathing and wouldn含羞草研究社檛 take their masks off out of fear.

She also cited mental health issues. 含羞草研究社淵ou can feel it. It含羞草研究社檒l go okay, but depending on what含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�

Krauskopf said she hopes the letter raises awareness among B.C.含羞草研究社檚 teachers and empowers them to speak up.

含羞草研究社淎 lot of (the measures) are designed to make people feel safer, but children are at very low risk from COVID.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檝e been massive increases in suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and self harm in children as young as nine.含羞草研究社�

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 Children含羞草研究社檚 Hospital in Hamilton has seen a massive spike in youth suicide attempts.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not just kids. Families are struggling. And child abuse in the home is escalating too,含羞草研究社� she noted. 含羞草研究社淐OVID is terrible, and it含羞草研究社檚 really affecting people, but we need to widen the lens now and start looking at how we can help children.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檇 like kids to just be able to start being kids again, especially when the risks are so low outside.含羞草研究社�

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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