Jeff Laird homeschools his two boys, Mac and Cal, and is also the principal of the Heritage Christian Online School. He's been receiving more phone calls from parents interested in homeschooling (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

HOMESCHOOLING

More parents turning to homeschooling amid uncertainty about return-to-school plan

Aug 13, 2020 | 4:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — As the province tries to iron out details of the return-to-school plan, some parents across the province are trying to find alternative education plans for their children this fall. Those not comfortable sending their kids back amid a global pandemic are turning to homeschooling.

The Laird family has been homeschooling their two boys in Rayleigh since they entered the education system. Mac and Cal get a curriculum catered to their learning styles.

“Every learning is different for sure and our boys are quite different in their own right, as any parent will tell you,” noted their father and teacher Jeff Laird. “It’s been really great for us to be able to tailor the education program to what fits them.”

Jeff is not only their teacher, he’s also the principal of the Heritage Christian Online School. He oversees 2,700 students from kindergarten to Grade 9 across the province. But those numbers are on the rise.

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He says the anxiety parents are feeling about sending their kids back to school amid a pandemic is piquing their interest about homeschool.

“We’ve had non-stop inquiries,” said Laird. “People phoning our office, just asking about what can they do kindergarten to Grade 9? What kind of options are there? What does that look like? What’s parent involvement look like? A full range of questions here. Even for enrollment applications coming through, it’s been a fairly substantial increase since last year.”

Laird says the more the Education Ministry changes their plans, the more interest there seems to be. Right now, the plan is to have students back to school Sept. 10, two days after the original start date announced earlier this summer.

School District 73 understands parents are nervous, but it says it’s doing everything it can to put their minds at ease during COVID-19. There will be cohorts of 60 students at the elementary level and 120 students in high school who will have to stay within that bubble.

“That, coupled with our cleaning measures and all the protective measures that are within place, the additional surface cleaning, the handwashing, the health checks, all of that will allow for our young people to thrive in a very health way. It’s really important that kids come back to school,” said SD73 Superintendent Alison Sidow.

Sidow feels children get the most out of their education when it’s conducted in class. “While there are options, our goal is to have as many parents return their children in the fall,” she noted. “When our plan is unveiled, I think parents will see the plan is safe and it allows for students to return to a quality education in a safe manner.

The district is revealing its return-to-school plan for the fall on Aug. 26.

Meanwhile, Laird expects more phone calls leading up to the year as families contemplate homeschool.