Alberta’s K to 12 Students Are Heading Back To School!

K-12 Students Back-to-School

On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, our province announced that K-12 students would be returning to school in September. Our government encourages students to prepare for a return to school, and we want to let concerned parents know that we are continuing to prioritize the protection of the health and safety of Alberta’s educational support staff, teachers, and students. That is why we not only put this plan in place but also why we left parents with the option to withhold their children from attending school, should they feel worried about doing so.

K to 12 education has changed significantly since our government decided to cancel in-school classes to limit the spread of COVID-19, and I know that students, parents, teachers and school boards did their best to adapt to alternative learning. However, we all know that students who attend schools learn best in the classroom with their teachers and peers, and thus, our goal is to get Alberta’s K to 12 students back to regular learning come September.

Combination of Public Health Measures with Back-to-School Scenario 1  

The plan is for students to re-enter under scenario 1 – the conditions students will be returning to – with schools having the ability to implement a number of public health measures, including frequent surface cleaning, placing hand sanitizers at entrances and classrooms, grouping students in cohorts, and planning their school days to permit adequate social distancing.

The goal here is for school boards and respective districts to have the ability to create a plan and subsequent procedures to best meet the needs of their students. Our plan is not a “one size fits all” approach because different schools have different needs, and they need to have autonomy to make those decisions uninhibited by unnecessary red tape and governmental interference.

Students, educational support staff, teachers, parents and school visitors will also be expected to use a daily self-screening questionnaire to determine whether they can enter the school. Additional public health measures may be established prior to September on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health – Dr. Deena Henshaw—in consultation with Alberta’s educational system.

Albertans can be assured that our comprehensive re-entry plan will allow students to return to school safely, while still supporting educational excellence in the classroom. The Minister of Education and her department continue to work regularly with education partners and the Chief Medical Officer of Health to ensure Alberta’s schools are prepared to welcome students back in September with big smiles and open arms.

We Thank Our Teachers

Re-opening schools would not be possible without the devoted efforts and commitment from Albertans in curbing the spread. Thank you to all Albertans who have done their part, and let’s keep it going as there is more work to be done.