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B.C. School Reopening Will Be Watched Closely Across Canada

On Monday, public school’s back in session in British Columbia — if only for a month.

Students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 will return to B.C. classrooms June 1, many for the first time since March break in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While other provinces, including Alberta and Ontario, have opted to keep schools closed for the remainder of the year, B.C. is one of the few provinces that will see students back in physical classrooms before summer break.

“These steps will pave the way for a full start back in September,” Premier John Horgan said on May 15 when announcing the planned reopening.

Premier John Horgan looks on during a press conference in Victoria on February 23, 2020.
Premier John Horgan looks on during a press conference in Victoria on February 23, 2020.

Around 5,000 children of essential workers and students who need extra assistance have already been in physical classrooms during the pandemic. Monday will see the optional return of thousands of remaining students.

The weeks since Horgan’s announcement have seen directives from the ministry of education and public health agencies trickle down to school boards and individual schools, as they all try to figure out how to reopen safely. As late as Friday afternoon, many schools were still in internal discussions around exact protocols.

The opening is still set to go ahead Monday, and other provinces will keep a keen eye on B.C. for developing their own strategies come September.

These steps will pave the way for a full start back in September.B.C. premier John Horgan

It’s not the first province to try out reopening. Quebec reopened elementary schools outside of Montreal two weeks ago, and since then, at least 40 staff and students have tested positive for COVID-19. The province’s chief public health officer Dr. Horatio Arruda said one elementary school was forced to close due to a number of teachers testing positive, but that some test-positive cases were to be expected.

Still, B.C. is trying to avoid that.

The province has a leg up because it has many fewer active cases of COVID-19 than Quebec. While Quebec recorded 530 new cases Friday — the...

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