THE BC Liberals said on Thursday that with the school sports tournament season approaching, the Minister of Education has not kept her promise to update the COVID-19 restrictions for school sports, which could result in the cancellation of major school tournaments across the province, even though community sports clubs are free to host tournaments today.

“The provincial health authorities and [Provincial Health Officer] Dr. Bonnie Henry have outlined clear rules and guidelines that allow community sports tournaments to continue, but the Minister of Education has remained silent on the issue, resulting in vague and convoluted guidelines for school teams that don’t align with community sports clubs,” said Education Critic and MLA for Fraser-Nicola Jackie Tegart. “This is creating a massive disparity amongst youth in sports and is particularly unfair for lower-income families who want to see their kids stay safe and active.”

The BC Liberals said that in her January 25 update, Dr. Henry suggested the restrictions on school sports would be lifted by February 1. On January 29, Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside stated they would review the guidelines this week, but so far there have been no further updates. The disparity between rules for school sports and club sports has led to a petition by B.C. parents calling for the ban of high school sports tournaments to be lifted.

“We all recognize the invaluable role sports play in our children’s physical and mental health,” said Tegart. “The worst part is that this disparity in restrictions impacts students and families who cannot afford sports clubs outside of schools the most. It’s time the NDP kept their promise and did a full review of the restrictions around school sports so we can give every student the greatest opportunity to safely participate in their sports programs.”