Nearly half of B.C. teachers say they don't feel safe at work, survey from union suggests
With the COVID-19 pandemic well into its fourth wave in B.C., a survey of teachers in the province suggests nearly half don't feel safe at work.
Results from a poll conducted by the B.C. Teachers' Federation surveyed nearly 6,000 union members. While about 46 per cent indicated they feel at least somewhat safe at work, 42 per cent said they did not.
The survey also revealed 51 per cent didn't think the health-and-safety measures in schools are adequate to keep everyone safe.
"Given the near impossibility of physical distancing in most B.C. classrooms, other safety measures become even more important. Masks are now mandated for all (kindergarten to Grade 12) students and adults working in schools," a summary of the survey's results says.
"However, 53 per cent of teachers feel that the frequency of cleaning/sanitation in schools is inadequate for helping reduce the spread of COVID-19."
More than 80 per cent of teachers surveyed also indicated they felt their mental health has worsened throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the pandemic began, teachers have frequently called for stronger COVID-19 measures. Even when B.C. extended its mask mandate to younger grades, the BCTF's president said those rules should have been implemented a lot sooner.
The union has also called for more transparent data on school exposures, but the BCTF's survey revealed 71 per cent still feel they don't get adequate information about COVID-10 cases in their own workplace.
Additionally, the union's asked for a province-wide vaccine mandate for staff, rather than one that's implemented by individual districts.
"Any vaccine mandate would need to be provincially implemented and done equitably. We can’t have unequal treatment of workers in the public education system," Teri Mooring, BCTF's president, said earlier this month.
The BCTF said its random-sample survey was completed among 5,996 active members between Sept. 22 and Oct. 11. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.