Following provincial guidelines, Hamilton’s public and Catholic school boards will not require students to be masked in the classroom this fall, as Minister of Education Stephen Lecce hopes to offer learners as normal a school experience as possible. Photo credit: CBC/Dan Taekema
Despite some post-secondary institutions across Ontario requiring masks and even mandating a first booster shot (third dose overall) for people attending campus, Hamilton school boards will not require masks or vaccination for students this fall.
Public and Catholic school boards are under the direction of the Government of Ontario, led by Doug Ford’s PCs, while universities and colleges operate as independent institutions, giving them the ability to set their own mandates separate from the province.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said that his government’s goal is to make the September 2022 return to school as normal as possible.
As a result, masks are not required for returning students and neither are vaccination shots. Extracurriculars such as school trips, sports, and clubs are set to see a full return, and students will no longer be split into cohorts. Online learning remains an option for those that prefer it or are uncomfortable with an in-person return.
Despite the provincial directions, Hamilton’s public school board (HWDSB) has issued a statement that masks are encouraged and recommended. The board says that they will “continue to offer free masks for students and visitors.”
The Hamilton public board famously defied the province in March 2022, “requiring” students to wear masks despite the province rescinding all school mask mandates. However, since school boards do not have the authority to unilaterally create their own public health measures trustees reversed the original motion requiring masks for staff and students by replacing it with a more watered-down masking mandate that was more akin to a masking recommendation.
The board has also put out a new press release highlighting their “Pandemic Recovery Plan” which is meant to create “an equitable post-pandemic recovery.” The plan includes five broad commitments such as creating a “safe and inclusive work and learning environment for all.”
Hamilton’s Catholic school board has not released any specific communications regarding the back-to-school return. In the past, the board has defaulted to provincial communications from the Ontario Ministry of Education.
Note that the author of this article, Kevin Geenen, is running for Ward 5 City Council Hamilton (Gray Rd to Red Hill Parkway plus the Beach Strip). Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Kevin Geenen reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on social media. He is a regular contributor with The Hamilton Independent and has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. He is known for Hamilton Neighbourhood Watch crime updates and no-nonsense news graphics. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal from Governor General David Johnston. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
