Jean-François Roberge under fire after veracity of CO2 testing called into question

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QUEBEC — Education Minister Jean-François Roberge was caught in the crossfire on Thursday over allegations he lied when he said public health approved his protocols for testing the quality of air in classrooms.

The issue was raised in a Radio-Canada report stating Roberge did not have the blessing of Quebec’s public health department for the methods the Education Ministry used as the basis of its claim that classroom air was virus free.

Quoting sources, Radio-Canada said public health went so far as to denounce the government internally for having claimed it endorsed the methods for measuring the level of CO2 in the air. The level of carbon dioxide is considered an indicator of the quality of ventilation in classrooms.

In a series of tweets Thursday afternoon, Roberge said he wanted to set the record straight. He released a document he said proves public health was consulted before ventilation directives were sent to school boards and service centres.

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In his tweets, Roberge gave indications that the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, a government body that provides scientific expertise, had given some guidance and feedback on providing CO2 testing.

But Roberge’s contention was disputed.

The INSPQ “was not solicited to validate the methods used to test for CO2 levels in schools,” spokesperson Isabelle Girard told the Gazette in an email earlier in the day. 

Later, after Roberge sent out his tweets, the INSPQ sent another email to the Montreal Gazette to further stress it had not been involved in the CO2 protocol.

“In order to rectify certain information that was spread on Twitter by the Minister of Education, here  are some precisions,” Girard wrote.

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“On Nov. 27, 2020, Dr. Richard Massé of the Health Ministry consulted Stéphane Perron, medical specialist in health and environment at the INSPQ, to get his opinion on a document titled Technical Note for the Measurement of Carbon Dioxide in the Buildings of the Ministry of Education. Dr. Perron had major reservations about the validity of the CO2 measurements without standardization. Neither Dr. Perron, nor any other expert from the INSPQ, has seen the final version of this technical note.

“The INSPQ reiterates it was never in contact with the ministry of education concerning the methodology of CO2 measures taken in schools in December 2020.”

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On Thursday morning, Premier François Legault reaffirmed his confidence in Roberge, who was absent from question period to attend an education forum, leaving Family Minister Mathieu Lacombe and Legault to answer in his place.

“Yes, I reiterate all my confidence in the minister of education,” Legault said in the legislature Thursday, responding to a barrage of opposition questions.

Legault denied the ministry embellished results by using an average of CO2 levels rather than reporting the results before students were present in class, while in class and at the end of the day after having left the windows open 20 minutes.

“What is said in the article is false,” Legault told the house. “The story says we used the average of three tests, but (in reality) if one test was over the limit, actions were taken.”

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“The tests in these classrooms were all done correctly,” Lacombe added. “It’s false to say we used an average. If one of the tests show more than 1,000 ppm (parts per million), action was taken. We did things correctly in consultation with public health.”

The Liberal opposition said it considers the tests bogus.

Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade is calling for Roberge to resign, saying he lied when he said he had the backing of public health.

“The minister lied on the issue of public health’s support on CO2 tests in schools,” Anglade told reporters. “He told us he had the support of public health. It just isn’t true.

“Yes, we say Mr. Roberge should step down. Why? Because obviously he lied. He told us that he had the support of public health officials. It wasn’t true. It wasn’t true. This ties back to the need for an independent public inquiry.”

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Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois waded in at a separate news conference.

“Mr. Roberge lied,” Nadeau-Dubois said. “He lied to the teachers, he lied to the parents, he lied to MNAs saying that his protocol was approved by public health authorities. It was not true.

“Now, does he have to resign? You know, he can resign, he can stay, he can take the weekend to think about it or even take a sabbatical year. Honestly, the only thing that matters to me is that the children in our classrooms are safe and that the air they’re breathing does not give them COVID-19.”

The story reignited fears among other observers about the quality of air in classrooms.

“It’s very disturbing because it makes you wonder about all of the other measures put in place in schools,” said Heidi Yetman, president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers. “From the get-go, that report on ventilation was very disturbing.”

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Yetman noted teachers’ associations have been asking that air circulation systems be improved in schools since last May, because more than 50 per cent of them don’t have mechanical ventilation systems in place.

“It should have been done in the summer, but it’s still not too late, because we’re not out of this yet,” Yetman said.

The Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) called on Roberge to clarify the government’s stance in the wake of the report.

As well, it noted it is still waiting for the Education Ministry to respect its promise to release findings on the results of air quality tests conducted in schools over the past months.

“The inaction of the ministry is leading to a loss of confidence on the ground,” CSQ president Sonia Éthier said in a statement.

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“While schools continue to be one of the main sources of outbreaks of COVID-19, as well as variants that are more and more present, education personnel are working in buildings where the air quality remains uncertain.

“The government is not divulging the results of tests that they have in their hands. It’s indecent and illogical. What do they have to hide?”

In mid-March, the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement teachers’ union asked a judge to rule on an injunction to force the Quebec government to submit a better plan to improve ventilation in the province’s classrooms.

The injunction request alleges violations of Canadian and Quebec charter rights, including the right to life and safety, and the right of teachers to “just and reasonable” working conditions “that respect their health.”

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FAE lawyer Tetiana Gerych argued the government’s methods for protecting against COVID-19 are “insufficient and inadequate” and the system in place to test ventilation in classrooms has faulty methodology.

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