With COVID-19 case counts surging across the lower mainland's health authorities, students at BCIT campuses in Metro Vancouver are demanding the post-secondary school push back the start date for in-person learning.
Students are expected to return to BCIT classrooms on Monday, Jan. 10, however, a petition circulating is looking for officials to make a last-minute change.
"BCIT told us to stay home this past week because of health orders but decided to open next week regardless of the cases going up," said BCIT Hailey Schoenhals in an email to V.I.A.
"Other schools in the area have been consistently prioritizing students' safety such as SFU and UBC whereas BCIT has continued to have in person classes for courses that could be taught virtually," added the concerned student.
"Due to the widespread Omicron variant, we feel as though our safety and well-being are in jeopardy should classes return to campus," reads the petition, started by a "Jane Doe" business student late last week.
The petition states that students "feel extremely vulnerable and uncomfortable" at the prospect of having to be in person on campuses again starting Monday, describing students being "crammed into small classrooms with no free seats."
The students behind the petition also claim that BCIT's current COVID-19 safety plan is "outdated" and does not take into consideration the ease of transmission of the Omicron variant of the virus.
"As a group, we unequivocally agree that our mental and physical health would suffer more in-person with the risks of COVID-19 compared to learning at home, virtually. We have a responsibility to protect ourselves, friends, roommates, and family members from the increasing danger of returning to campus on Monday," reads the petition.
So far, over 3,100 people have signed the petition. As of late Sunday afternoon, BCIT had not indicated any plans to halt students' return to on-campus learning Monday.
