Parents should know provincial plans for the next school term within two weeks.
“We’re doing everything we can to get those answers to them before the end of this month,” Premier John Horgan said Friday. “I appreciate parents want to know as soon as they can what the world’s going to look like come September.”
He said Education Minister Rob Fleming and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will be making the announcement.
Fleming said restarting B.C. schools is the focus of the Ministry of Education right now. “The schools have been given the signal by our government that we’re moving ahead to have as many kids in the school system as possible, certainly 100 per cent for elementary and middle-school kids,” he said.
“And we’re working on the secondary plan, as well.”
He said a steering committee made up of teachers, trustees, principals, parents and others is working on the reopening plan.
“They’ve met five times now,” Fleming said. “They’re working with the provincial health officer to have a science-led response about what safe schools look like.”
Horgan said plans for September will vary across B.C. “I think that one size does not fit all when it comes to coming out of a pandemic and dealing with dense, urban schools versus more sparsely populated rural communities.”
Horgan said he is not under political pressure to open schools.
“This is not about politics,” he said. “This is about what can we do to make sure that the people of British Columbia are getting the best outcomes possible.”
