Most B.C. students to return to school full time in September, education minister says

Fleming said on the advice of Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, students will be organized into learning groups to reduce the number of people they come in contact with, cutting the risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus.

Henry said elementary and middle school learning groups will have a maximum of 60 students, while secondary school learning groups will have up to 120 students. Fewer students will be allowed in the learning groups for younger students, as it is more difficult for them to practise safe social distancing and proper handwashing, she said.

She said students in the same learning group will have opportunities to socialize outside of the classroom in shared spaces like hallways and cafeterias, calling the plan a “balancing act” to ensure students have the opportunity for social interactions without creating an environment where the virus could rapidly spread.

The government is putting up $45.6 million to ensure safety measures, including increased cleaning of high-contact surfaces, an increased number of hand-hygiene stations and the availability of masks.

Impact of closing schools ‘lifelong’

Staff and students, or their parents, will be expected to assess themselves daily for symptoms of COVID-19. Masks will not be mandatory, but will be recommended in situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained. 

Henry said she has “great confidence” in the plan, and that schools can safely reopen, as long as community transmission remains low.

“We cannot predict the future. We are planning for a number of scenarios — if there is increase in cases, will review,” she said, adding there is no “magic number” of cases that would cause provincial officials to re-assess their plan.

Henry and Fleming emphasized throughout Wednesday’s news conference that there is no replacement for in-class learning, recognizing that parents trying to manage at-home education has put enormous strain on families throughout the pandemic.

“The impact of closing of schools can be lifelong for some children. We know there’s been an increase in anxiety, in mental health issues for young people, with families that have had challenges with having children at home.” said Henry.

“We think this is a reasonable approach. It is going to take some adjustment.”

B.C. parents wary of return to school: poll

A recent poll suggests many parents are on the fence about sending their kids back to school at all.

The poll by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies found 40 per cent of B.C. parents would send their kids back to school if there was some kind of classroom instruction at least a few days a week — lower than the national average of 59 per cent.

In B.C., 48 per cent of parents said they were still undecided.

The online poll of more than 1,500 Canadians took place over the past weekend. It cannot be given a margin of error because it is not a random sample.

The poll also found more than 80 per cent of people were in favour of mandatory temperature checks for students and mandatory masks for teachers.

Luis Giraldo, a Vancouver father of an eight-year-old boy, said he’s leaning toward keeping his son out of school while his family keeps an eye on what the province decides to do, and to see whether schools will be able to implement safety measures effectively.

“We’re preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” Giraldo said. “We’d rather play safe and stay home.”