The provincial government announced their guidance for COVID-19 precautions in schools on Friday. The guidance includes a recommendation that students under 12, as well as unvaccinated teachers and staff, wear a mask when in common areas such as hallways, libraries, lunchrooms and school buses. The guidance stated the provincial government did not feel it was necessary for students to wear masks in the classroom.

While this is the guidance from the province, Education Minister Dustin Duncan explained that may not be what it looks like within the schools.

“School divisions will make up their own decisions when it comes to what sort of measures they decide to put in place,” Duncan said. He pointed out some school divisions may opt to not follow any of these recommendations, and they are free to do so. At the same time, other school divisions may choose to enact precautions that are more stringent.

“We have school divisions that are likely deciding within the next week what sort of measures they are going to have in place,” Duncan added.

It was also noted there will be no level system as there was last year. Contact tracing for positive cases will still be reported, and the measures for self-isolation in the case of a positive case will still be in effect.

The new school year in Saskatchewan starts on September 1st.