Living through a pandemic, we find ourselves in a very unfamiliar situation that we haven't encountered before. We all want to keep our families and communities safe – and we want to assure you that we have carefully gauged risks in order to support your employer in keeping you safe in your workplace. Based on public health advice and global research, in-class instruction is safe for students and
teachers.
Comprehensive health and safety guidelines have been developed by the BC Centre for Disease Control, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, public health and the education sector, to ensure the safety of staff and students. These guidelines will be reviewed by the Ministry's Steering Committee and updated as needed.
We appreciate that every school is unique in design, number of students and staff requirements, which is why school districts and independent schools are developing
Restart Plans that will be submitted to the ministry before the 2020/21 school year begins. Your district's or school's Restart Plan will be posted on its website by August 26.
The Ministry of Education is providing $45.6 million to support the implementation of enhanced safety measures in schools, such as increased cleaning of high-contact surfaces; increased number of hand-hygiene stations and masks upon request, among other safety measures. If you'd like to request a mask, please contact your school administrator.
