Despite mandatory masking, Denis Rossignol sees light at the end of the tunnel

Despite mandatory masking, Denis Rossignol sees light at the end of the tunnel

Quebec’s education minister, Jean-François Roberge, announced yesterday (August 24) that masking will be mandatory for students in the Outaouais. The fourth wave, which has been officially declared by Health Canada, and the Delta variant were the reasons cited by the government for the change.

Despite everything, Denis Rossignol, the director general of the Hauts-Bois-de-l’Outaouais school service center, is confident and he believes that this return in class will not be a repeat of the uncertainty that plagued last year.

“It’s coming along well. We will have a slightly more difficult return to school with the Minister’s announcement concerning mandatory masks, but we should have a good year, we now have experience in case management,” Rossignol said (translated).

Rossignol said that academic success was a team effort, particularly in the context of a pandemic. He added that communication with parents was of the utmost importance.

““It is a collaboration between the school, the family, the community, it is a work of support, of accompaniment. When a child is tested positive, for example, we found the child, we respected the isolation measures and at the same time we collaborated with the school for their online learning,” he said (translated).

As for extracurricular activities, sports and activities will take place normally in elementary schools. At the secondary level, the Minister for Education Isabelle Charest, specified that the presentation of the vaccination passport will be required in all regions of Quebec for indoor sports and outdoor team sports that involve frequent contact.

The start of classes in the Pontiac within CSSHBO schools is this Monday, August 30.