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The Ford Government has announced that all schools will be moving to 100 per-cent virtual learning after the April break has finished.
The announcement was made Monday afternoon by Premier Doug Ford and follows the stay-at-home order announced on Thursday.
“The problem is not in our schools, it is in our community. Bringing our kids back to a congregate setting in school after a week off in the community is a risk that I won’t take,” said Ford, “We know that the more COVID spreads in the community, the more likely it is to get into the schools, which will create massive problems for all of us down the road.”
The province says the move has been made in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in southern Ontario, the increasing risks posed to the public by COVID-19 variants, and the massive spike in hospital admissions.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce explains all childcare centres for non-school aged children will remain open while all before and after school programs will be closed.
As for school-aged children of health care and other front line workers, Lecce says there will be free emergency care.
School Boards will also be directed to provide continued in person support for students with special education needs, who can not learn remotely.
“This was not a decision we made lightly, as we know how critical schools are to Ontario students. Our priority has always been to keep schools open, however, sharply rising community transmission can put our schools and Ontario families at risk,” said Lecce. “While Ontario’s plan has kept schools safe, as confirmed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, we are taking decisive and preventative action today to ensure students can safely return to learning in our schools.”
Lecce adds that they will make the move back to in-person learning as soon as it’s safe to do so.
(With Files from Sarah McCarthy/Dryden)
