A plan for reopening education in Ontario includes in-class and online learning options, but some areas will be back in class full-time in September.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says elementary students will be in class five days a week while secondary students will be in class up to 50 per cent of the time in some areas.
High school students in bigger cities will be attending classes on alternating days, but those in smaller communities will be allowed to accept all students, five days a week.
The Bluewater District School Board will fall under the conventional return plan, its Director of Education Lori Wilder confirms in a letter distributed Thursday, with students in both elementary and high schools in class five days a week.
This means that on Tuesday, Sept. 8 Bluewater District School Board elementary and secondary students can return to school on a full-time basis with enhanced public health protocols in place to maximize safety.
The Bruce-Grey Catholic District School board will share their re-opening plan later today.
“As we’ve always said, we will continue to respect the choice and authority of parents,” said Lecce. “The choice of whether to enrol their children for in-school instruction, the choice of determining when and if they feel comfortable with their child’s re-entering school during the year and the expectation and delivery of live online teacher-led synchronous learning for their child when they are not in school.”
Lecce says students in Grades 4-12 will have to wear non-medical masks or cloth coverings while in class, while children in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged to in common areas, but it won’t be mandatory.
Some secondary school students will attend classes with up to 15 students attending on alternate days and learning online on others.
It will be up to each school board in Ontario to create a plan under each scenario.
Most schools will open on September 8.
The Province has earmarked $309 million for the school year.
Social distancing and limiting visitors to schools are also included in the plan.