When kids in Ontario head back to the classroom after their March break, there will be one very obvious change: They will no longer be required to wear masks at school.
B.C. schools are also dropping masks after spring break, and students in many other provinces no longer have to wear them. 
Yet, at the same time, many credible health experts are saying it?s too soon to drop mask mandates and other pandemic measures in schools, especially after a week off when many families traveled and socialized more than usual. And while some pandemic-weary parents are eager to ditch masks as soon it?s allowed, others are concerned about sending their kids to classes where they?ll sit tete-a-tete with unmasked classmates. 
How can parents figure out what’s best for their family" Here are some things to consider. Masks can be very effective 
There has been plenty of research to show the benefits of mask-wearing during the pandemic. A recently released study funded by the National Institutes of Health, for example, found that schools with mandatory masking during the Delta wave had approximately 72 percent fewer cases of COVID transmitted at school compared to schools where masking was optional or there was only a partial masking policy.
On the other hand, not all masks are equal. A well-fitting medical mask or respirator offers much better protection than a cloth mask.
Masks haven’t been shown to harm kids’ development or ability to breathe

Despite plenty of co...