Dale Boyd
Osoyoos Times
School are reopening in B.C. at a limited capacity, and on a voluntary basis, starting June 1.
It will be up to parents to decide whether or not their children return to school on a part-time basis, likely meaning one day per week of in-class learning for secondary school students, while online learning options will continue to be available.
A limit on the number of students attending school will be in place along with staggered lunch breaks, recess and pick-up and drop-off times. Students from kindergarten to Grade 5 can attend school half-time, up to two or three days a week.
For Grades 6 to 12, only 20 per cent of students will be at a school at any one time, meaning likely one day per week for middle and secondary school students in B.C.
School districts are now reviewing available spaces in schools, looking at adjusting flows of students into hallways, introducing cleaning regiments for high-contact surfaces like door knobs and keyboards, and limiting group sizes in common areas.
About 5,000 students have attended in-person at schools already province wide, mostly children of essential service workers and those who need extra support. These students will continue to have access to school full time.
New public health guidelines from the provincial health officer and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control will be required at all schools, including all students and staff cleaning their hands upon entering the building, with more cleaning stations made available.
“This won’t be back to the way school life was before the pandemic. There will be strict health and safety standards in place. Schools will look significantly different than before the pandemic,” said Minister of Education Rob Fleming, who made the announcement in Victoria Friday alongside Premier John Horgan— both saying there is no pressure on parents or students to return to school if they don’t want to with virtual options remaining available.
Staff and students returning to school must assess themselves daily for symptoms of the common cold, influenza and COVID-19 symptoms, Fleming said.
“Any student or staff member with any symptoms, however mild, must stay home as that is the case in any workplace now right across British Columbia,” Fleming said.
Students taking the bus will be limited to one student per seat, unless they are from the same household, and plexiglass protective shields will be in place for bus drivers.
“I want to assure you we would not be making these announcements today if there was an undue risk to the health and well-being of the youngsters that are going into our schools, or the adults, the teachers and support staff that we so much depend on to care for our children throughout the day,” Horgan said.
Parents can expect to hear from schools locally before May 22, Fleming said, and if not contact the principal of your local school.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the province has a “comprehensive plan” should someone become ill in a school.
“This is something that all of us in public health take very seriously. I want you to know a thoughtful and measured approach is being taken. This is about moving forward in a way that we can all feel good about. Some parents may choose to have their kids return on June 1, others will wait until September, and that is absolutely fine,” Henry said. “You have to do what’s right for you in your situation and make those decisions for your family.”
These steps will pave the way to a planned full-time return to school in September, Fleming said.
