VOTE Socialist calls on Vancouver school trustees to support human rights and a safe return to school

August 30, 2022

VANCOUVER, B.C. – With schools reopening in one week, VOTE Socialist School Board candidate Dr. Karina Zeidler is calling for urgent investments in clean air and safe schools for students and education workers. 

“As a society, we have a collective responsibility to protect our children and our communities, especially those who are most vulnerable. Individuals alone cannot protect themselves against an airborne communicable disease,” said Dr. Zeidler. 

Dr. Zeidler is demanding that all other school board candidates state their position on making schools safe: “Do you favour universal masking and clean air, or do you favour disease and discrimination?" 

Earlier this year, B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender clearly stated in her letter to Dr. Bonnie Henry that “lifting the mask mandate will do disproportionate harm to those who are already marginalized […] immune-compromised people, older people, indigenous and racialized people, people with disabilities, and low-income people.”

“As the Human Rights Commissioner has made clear, refusal to to implement universal masking represents a human rights violation,” said Dr. Zeidler. “With failures at the provincial level to take adequate COVID safety protections for our schools, it’s up to Vancouver School Board trustees to do the responsible thing and take action here at the local level.”

Thus far, VOTE Socialist is the only party running candidates for Vancouver School Board calling for a return to universal masking in schools. A recent survey conducted by the Canadian Press found 14 universities across Canada that continue to require masking on campus for COVID safety and inclusivity.  

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To arrange an interview with Dr. Karina Zeidler, please contact media@votesocialist.ca.