School bells will ring again in the fall.
It’s back to in-classroom learning for Prekindergarten to Grade 12 students.
Schools have been closed since March 20th in response to COVID-19, but will reopen as early as September 1st, depending on local school division calendars.
Education Minister Gordon Wyant considers re-opening the schools a significant milestone and he thanks teachers and staff for all they have been doing to connect with students virtually.
Public health guidelines are being developed and will be available for school divisions in the next week or so.
Wyant understands this will mean extra costs for schools and says they will assess what those are with school divisions and will have conversations about how to address those additional needs

Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, says they have been watching what is happening elsewhere as schools reopen, in particular in Australia because it has also experienced low transmission of the virus.
Some regions that have re-opened schools have had limited transmission of the virus but it hasn’t been passed on from schools to households.
He says, “That just supports the observation that children don’t really get that sick with COVID for the most part, and don’t transmit it that well either so COVID-19 varies very differently in children than coughs and colds or influenza.”
The Ministry of Education with input from school boards and teachers is developing the public health guidelines for what classes will look like in the fall, under the advice of Dr. Shahab.

For parents who have concerns about their children going back, for instance if they are immuno-compromised, Minister Wyant says an alternate delivery model will need to be made available.
There will be contingency plans in place if the risk of transmission rises and in-class learning can’t resume as planned, either regionally or provincially.