Teacher’s union doesn’t accept public health rejection of school air purifiers

MONTREAL – A union representing teachers in Quebec says the province’s education minister shouldn’t rule out the idea of putting air purifiers in classrooms despite a recommendation by public health authorities.

Sonia Ethier, the president of the Centrale des syndicats du Quebec, told reporters Sunday that air quality in schools is a particularly important issue and that the arguments made by public health against the installation of air purifiers aren’t convincing.

Dr. Richard Masse, a strategic medical advisor at Quebec’s public health authority, said Friday that if air purifiers are poorly installed they can spread droplets and create a false sense of security.

Ethier says support staff in schools have experience installing air purifiers.

She says it’s also not unheard of for the province to backpedal on public health recommendations, noting authorities once suggested residents didn’t need to wear masks in the spring before later making them mandatory in schools.

She says her organization isn’t trying to replace public health, but does want the government to continue its consideration of air purifiers.

Some school boards in Quebec, including the English Montreal School Board, have purchased air purifiers independently. Only English-language schools in Quebec continue to have elected school boards.