School districts have now received updated
operational guidelines that ensure a consistent provincewide approach to keep schools safe for all students, teachers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines were created in collaboration with education partners, including teachers, parents, support staff, school leaders, trustees and Indigenous rights holders.
Under the updated health and safety guidelines, masks will be required for staff, teachers and students in middle and secondary schools in common areas like hallways, buses, or any time safe, physical distancing cannot be maintained.
In order to support staff and students to meet this expectation, the Ministry is providing additional funding to school districts that will support the purchase of up to 1.5 million masks, enough for every public-school staff member and student to have at least two masks. Canadian Shield has
also recently announced it's donating an additional 54,500 face shields for K-12 teachers in B.C., adding to the inventory of personal protective equipment that will be available for staff.
The operational guidelines also cover the key components of delivering K-12 education safely during the pandemic, including curriculum, report cards, supports for students with disabilities/diverse abilities, and finance and operations.
