Back to school: No cohorts, 'near normal' return to class for B.C. students in the fall
Before classes wrap up for the summer, B.C.'s top doctor and education minister unveiled the province's back-to-school plan for the fall, which they said would be a return to "near normal."
Dr. Bonnie Henry and Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside announced the plan at a news conference Thursday morning.
"There's no question it was a difficult year," Whiteside said Thursday, reflecting on the past several months.
By September, Whiteside said officials are expecting all students will be back in the classroom for full-time, in-person instruction in the fall.
"Based on guidance from the office of the provincial health officer, students will no longer be group into cohorts or learning groups," Whiteside announced.
"Pending further public health guidance, it's also expected that current restrictions on gatherings, extracurricular activities and sports will be relaxed in time for the new school year and that's good news for everyone."
Whiteside said guidance on mask-wearing in schools will be confirmed later in the summer and "will align with broader provincial direction."
Daily health checks will still likely be required, however, and students and staff will need to stay home when sick.
"We are now in a time of transition where we can safely restart and get some of those important social connections back together," Henry said, crediting vaccination rates for the province's falling daily case counts.
"Our goal in particular for our schools is to get to the point where we can take the same approach that we do with other communicable diseases whether it's influenza or measles where we can manage them on a local basis, on an individual basis without having those broad impacts on society."
In announcing the plan, officials also said the province is giving $43.6 million to support ongoing health-and-safety measures, First Nations and Métis students, mental health services and rapid response teams.
Of that, $25.6 million will be pandemic-specific funding.
Schools are currently scheduled to reopen Sept. 7, the day after Labour Day. That day marks the earliest B.C. could enter Step 4 of its restart plan.
As of Thursday, more than 50 per cent of students aged 12 to 17 have already received one COVID-19 vaccine dose. By September, the province expects all eligible British Columbians will have been offered two doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
WATCH Expecting an interest rate cut in June? Don't bet on it after new jobs data
Canada's labour market rebounded in April, adding more than 90,000 jobs, a staggering number of new positions after four consecutive months of little change.