Provincial Government Provides Plan for a Return to School for K-12 Students in September

  • Education and Early Childhood Development
  • Executive Council

July 6, 2020

Today the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Honourable Brian Warr, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, outlined a comprehensive plan for a return to school in September that will enable school districts and parents to plan proactively while prioritizing the safety and well-being of students and school communities.

Current literature notes that children and youth are less susceptible to the risk of COVID-19 and that school closures increase inequalities in learning, particularly for those who are vulnerable. With this in mind, it is critical to balance the risks of returning to school with the impacts on the physical and mental health of students.

The focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador K-12 Education Re-entry Plan is to maximize in-person attendance in the K-12 education system while ensuring health and safety measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission for students, all teaching staff, support workers and families.  The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is following recommendations and the advice of various expert organizations including public health officials both provincially and nationally. The plan offers guidance on a wide range of operational areas including physical distancing measures, hygiene and cleaning protocols, transportation, food services, curriculum outcomes, assessment, and guidance for students with exceptionalities, among others.

School districts will plan for three scenarios for the fall:

  • Scenario 1: In-school classes resume (near normal with health measures)
  • Scenario 2: In-school classes partially resume (with additional health measures)
  • Scenario 3: At-home learning (in-school classes are suspended/cancelled)

The preferred and anticipated scenario is that students will return to daily in-school classes at the beginning of the year. However, school districts are asked to prepare for implementing any of the three possibilities during the upcoming school year, including on short notice. Officials with public health and the department will be monitoring the situation closely and will provide any necessary updates prior to the beginning of the school year.

The re-entry plan balances the need for provincial standardized approaches in some areas while also providing flexibility and recognition of the school districts’ ability to meet health guidelines in the most effective ways in their own communities.

The Newfoundland and Labrador K-12 Education Re-entry Plan and associated documents can be found at the links in the Learn More section below.

Quotes
“This plan puts the safety of students, educators, staff and families first and is based on the expertise and advice of public health and medical professionals from the province, across the country and around the globe. We would be remiss if we did not make every effort to reopen schools, knowing the impacts that extended closures can have. By following public health measures I believe we can successfully live with COVID-19 in our school communities, as we are doing elsewhere in the province and throughout the world.”
Honourable Dwight Ball
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“We are preparing and hopeful that schools will reopen and daily classes will resume in September; however, we must also be prepared for all possibilities. The re-entry plan provides clear direction and the certainty that educators and families need to plan ahead and prepare for what the new school year may look like. I want to thank all of our education partners for their input and expertise in this planning process.”
Honourable Brian Warr
Minister of Education and Early Childhood Education

“The plan set forth by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador balances the educational, social, and emotional benefits of children attending school, with the risks of COVID-19. The plan also supports the importance of living safely with COVID-19.”
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald
Chief Medical Officer of Health

“The Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board is committed to implementing a plan for September reopening of schools which will maximize the amount of in-class instruction for all students, within the parameters set by public health authorities, and keeping student and staff health and safety top of mind.”
Goronwy Price
Chair, Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board

“The Conseil scolaire francophone provincial is focused on the well-being of all and learning excellence for our students. Having our students return to in-class instruction in September and ensuring their health and safety is a priority. We are more than ready to prepare for the new school year ahead.”
Brian Lee
Chair, Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador

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Learn more

Newfoundland and Labrador K-12 Education Re-entry Plan

Screening Questionnaire

Media contacts
Jeremy Reynolds
Office of the Premier
709-729-3558
jeremyreynolds@gov.nl.ca

Tina Coffey
Education and Early Childhood Development
709-729-1906, 687-9903
tcoffey@gov.nl.ca

Kathy Dicks-Peyton
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-1982
kathydickspeyton@gov.nl.ca

Cheryl Gullage
Newfoundland and Labrador English School District
709-758-0032, 697-5856
cherylgullage@nlesd.ca

Eveline Ross-Phaneuf
Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et- Labrador
709-722-6324
communications@csfp.nl.ca

Le gouvernement provincial fournit un plan pour la rentrée scolaire en septembre

2020 07 06 12:45 pm