The Montreal School Service Center (CSSDM) unveiled on Friday that CO readers2 promised by Quebec will be installed in classrooms in four phases, starting with the schools that need it most. Devices are already in place in 3% of CSSDM schools.
The first phase of the CSSDM plan was almost completed on Friday. Classes in the annex of Ahuntsic and Saint-Justin schools, as well as of Petit-Chapiteau, Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf, Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande and Saints-Martyrs-Canadiens schools are equipped with CO readers2.
The installation of the devices in the Dunton Academy secondary school will complete the phase of the schools identified as priority.
The order of installation of the devices in the CSSDM classes was developed according to “the results obtained during the CO₂ sampling last year,” said the school service center in a letter sent to parents on Friday.
Those who wish to know what stage their child’s school is in can consult the CSSDM website, where the information is indicated.
More than 1,000 devices were distributed to school service centers and school boards across the province in early November. The Ministry of Education remains on course for its goal of delivering 90,000 CO readers2 announced before mid-December.
The devices will measure the concentration of CO2 in the classrooms, but also the temperature and humidity in the premises. The Ministry of Education aspires that the concentration of CO2 in schools is 1000 parts per million (ppm).
However, school personnel should ensure that the concentration of CO2 does not exceed 1500 ppm, a level at which ventilation is considered adequate. If a class has a higher concentration, teachers will be asked to open more windows and doors.
Work could also be undertaken in schools struggling with ventilation problems. The CSSDM material resources department will consult the daily CO averages2 identified in order to plan and prioritize renovations.
Remember that the presence of CO2 in the classroom does not in itself represent a health hazard. This is, however, an indicator of the quality of ventilation.
At the time of publication, it was not possible to get comments from the Alliance des Professeurs de Montréal.