After the province announced 100,000 rapid COVID-19 testing kits were heading to Saskatchewan classrooms, the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation is looking forward to seeing students get tested.

While the province has indicated some of the tests will get used this week, STF President Patrick Maze said it’s a little premature, especially considering the tests were just shipped on Monday.

“When you consider that all students would require a parental signature and that requires a form going home and coming back from parents, I think it’s a little premature to say it’s going to start this week, but at the same point I know the government is being pressured to get the tests out to schools, it seems like that’s the first step being made,” Maze said.

The Regina Public and Catholic School Divisions are both moving to virtual learning this week and next.

Maze says because of that, he hopes the rapid tests set for Regina are able to be used in other school divisions while students in the Queen City learn from home.

He is also hoping students not showing symptoms of COVID-19 are tested as well.

“Forty percent of students who have the variant are asymptomatic,” Maze said. “So hopefully they are going to act on making sure it’s not just students who are displaying symptoms that are being tested,” Maze added.

Regina Public high schools move to remote learning Wednesday, Public elementary students and all Regina Catholic students being remote learning on Monday, March 29.