Classrooms across B.C. are forecast to return to normal after the upcoming summer break with vaccination and reduced case counts affording more flexibility to students and staff. (Dreamstime)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

BACK TO SCHOOL

Cohorts disbanding for September return to normal in BC classrooms

Jun 17, 2021 | 10:14 AM

NANAIMO — With a pandemic-affected school year coming to an end, public health and the education system has turned its attention to what’s to come.

Provincial education minister Jennifer Whiteside announced at a news conference on Thursday, June 17, a planned return to normal for students in September.

The announcement sees a removal of the learning groups and cohorts which made the 2020/21 school year possible.

“With more than 50 per cent of children aged 12 to 17 already receiving their first dose of vaccine, and those numbers continue to grow, we can plan for a much more normal school year starting in the fall,” Whiteside said.

A decision on various layers of protection, such as masks and social distancing, will be made over the summer and be based on case counts at the time and projected trends.

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The province’s restart plan notes mask usage is set to become ‘recommended’ on July 1 and a ‘personal choice’ after the Labour Day long weekend in September.

A total of $43.6 million in provincial cash was also announced for school district’s to continue their COVID-19 response.

Over half, $25.6 million, is earmarked for enhanced cleaning, mental health support services, staffing of COVID-19 rapid response teams and support for Indigenous students affected by the pandemic.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said ongoing vaccination efforts played a big role in moving ahead with a school-specific return to normal plan.

She said the goal is to get COVID-19 to a point where it is treated like other communicable diseases.

“Whether it’s influenza or measles, where we can manage them on a local basis, on an individual basis without having those broad impacts on society we’ve had this past year.”

The province’s vaccination program for school aged children continues, with those 12-17 currently eligible to receive their first dose.

Studies continue around the world about the efficacy and safety of vaccines for younger children.

Dr. Henry said vaccination will make the province less suseptible to the transmission events we saw through the fall and winter of 2020 and into early 2021.

“Even through the peak of our third wave, we had very little transmission. We had quite a lot of exposure events, those were concerning and we managed those.”

Work will continue through rapid response teams, including Island Health’s team managed and operated out of School District 68, to minimalize disruption from COVID-19 to the local school system.

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