Students to go back to school in fall, no limits on class sizes
The province will bring back students to classrooms in the fall under its Scenario 1 or “near-normal daily operations with health measures.”
Premier Jason Kenney said there is “overwhelming” evidence from other countries that schools can operate safely “with little health risk for children and teachers and low risk of causing serious outbreaks in the communities that surround them”
Kenney cited Science Magazine, which reported this month that studies have shown people under 18 are one-third to one-half as likely to contract COVID-19. “The younger the child, the lower the risk,” Kenney said
Schools will implement health measures including frequent cleaning of surfaces, hand sanitizers at the entrances of schools and classrooms, grouping students in cohorts, and planning the school day to allow physical distancing
Students, staff, parents and school visitors will be expected to use a self-screening questionnaire daily to determine whether they can enter the school
The province is increasing funding to schools across the province by $120 million
Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said she approved the use of school board reserves (currently at $363 million) to cover COVID-19-related costs
Parents will be notified if there is a case in their child’s school
Public health teams will investigate if students or staff test positive and contact close contacts of that person
If a school records a case, health and local school officials could transition to partial in-class learning or at-home learning. The decision — “made by our government,” LaGrange said — will be made on a few factors, including the number of cases in the school and the risk of ongoing transmission.
LaGrange said there’s been no cases at Alberta summer schools. “It’s been a small litmus test, so that we can go back to school effectively,” she said. “Practical experience here in Canada and around the world show that schools can function safely during COVID-19,” Kenney added.
There will be no limits on class sizes, LaGrange said
Parents won’t be forced to send their children to school, Kenney said. Parents should reach out to their school division to discuss options, LaGrange added.
