Ontario government set to announce back-to-school plans in September

TORONTO — The Ontario government is due to announce plans for reopening schools in September later today.

The announcement comes just six weeks before back-to-school season and a week before the province’s 72 school boards were initially asked to outline their plans for the academic year.

The province had previously asked school boards to prepare for three scenarios come September: regular in-class instruction with physical-distancing measures in place, full-time remote learning, and a hybrid model blending both approaches.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce initially expressed a preference for the hybrid model, which would see no more than 15 students in class attending on alternating days or weeks.

More recently, he expressed a preference for full-time, in-class learning.

Government opposition critics, school boards and unions alike have said that if classes are to resume full time, the province will have to significantly increase spending on education so that staff and students can be kept safe from COVID-19.

2:06Eastern Ontario school board wants students return full-time