To the Editor,

Educational workers are legally responsible for the education, health, welfare and safety of their students. During the first week of school, and at regular intervals throughout the year, fire drills and emergency evacuations are practised. How is social distancing to be maintained, when staff are attempting to empty a building (sometimes two and three stories high) safely in less than two minutes?  Unlike recess, these exits cannot be staggered.

Additionally, which protocols are being implemented, should there be a lockdown? The hours of anxiety and uncertainty, both inside and outside the school during 9/11, still burn in my memory. Lockdowns can occur due to suspected intruders or weapons in buildings and a host of other reasons.

These issues must be addressed and protocols clearly delineated, before anyone returns to school. This “back to school” is anything but normal!

Cheryl Cohoon
Haliburton