The province confirmed Thursday that in-class learning will not resume until September at the earliest.
Saskatchewan students have been continuing to take part in online learning at home, with in-class learning suspended indefinitely on March 16. Now, under the direction of the Chief Medical Health Officer, it will to resume for the remainder of the school year.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Saskatchewan, it certainly impacted everyone in the province and the education sector was no difference,” Deputy Premier and Education Minister Gordon Wyant said at a conference call with reporters Thursday.
“We needed to move quickly and decisively in order to protect our students, and our staff, our families, and within a matter of weeks, a supplemental learning framework was created to provide students with learning opportunities from their home. I am very pleased with the success we have seen using this new way of delivering education to our students and I commend teachers, staff and the families for adapting quickly and enthusiastically.”
Wyant said the province’s Response Planning Team will continue to collaborate with the chief medical health officer to coordinate a safe return.
According to the province the Response Planning Team is working with partners in the education sector to begin work on what in-class learning may look like in the fall. Timelines depend on the safety of everyone in Saskatchewan schools including students, teachers and school staff.
Regarding the conversations with school boards and teachers, Wyant said members of the Response Planning Team are “working very hard, analyzing what different scenarios might be available in the event we can commence in September and in the event class is cancelled in September. So they’re looking at all different possibilities.”
In terms of the supplementary learning, they are working on supplementary learning opportunities so that in the event class cannot commence, “we’ll have a robust plan for the delivery of public education,” said Wyant.
Wyant also was asked about the possibility of re-opening schools at different time in different locations. “It’s certainly a possibility in September… there may be a different scenario for delivering public education and that may well could be one of them, and I know the Response Planning Team is giving serious consideration to that as an alternative.”
For students graduating, the province stated in a news release that school divisions are working towards virtual graduation ceremonies or possible postponements, due to the 10-person restriction on gatherings.
