The implementation of troubleshooters to deal with teachers concerns over COVID-19 regulations is being welcomed by the superintendent of schools in our area.

The third party troubleshooters will make recommendations when a dispute between teachers and the Ministry Education occurs.

SD-73’s Terry Sullivan says worry about the pandemic is wide spread through the district. “Well I that everybody is concerned and you know we are all in this together, we’re all working in this environment.”

“I am, I have a daughter that works in the system, I have a granddaughter that’s attending elementary school in the system so we all have, I think, a level of concern around this virus.”

He says there hasn’t been a major outbreak in a school, at least not yet. “When you look at the number of cases in B-C that have occurred and the number of cases that have actually occurred in school in British Columbia and I certainly understand there’s been some spikes in the coast lately but there are relatively few numbers that have taken place in school compared to the general population.”

Sullivan says the district and it’s teachers are fully behind the idea of a third party to make recommendations when a pandemic related issue comes up. “There are people that obviously would have concerns and you know this would be a vehicle that they could use to express those concerns and see that they’re investigated.”

“So, we will certainly fully cooperate with any trouble shooter that happens to be appointed for any concerns that are expressed in our district and we will supply any information they require and fully cooperate with them.”

The order for troubleshooters came after the BC Teachers Federation filed a complaint with the Labour Relations Board, with concerns about unsafe working conditions in schools.