Yukon students in kindergarten to Grade 12 could return to school in September following the suspension of in-class instruction in early April.
The territorial government says it’s making plans for the next school year that include flexibility around the number of students in schools if there’s a second wave or increased risk of transmission of COVID-19.
It says the planning is with the territory’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Brendan Hanley, and health and safety guidelines will be developed before school resumes.
Yukon says each school will determine how it will adjust its operations to meet those guidelines and the unique needs of each community, and school principals and staff are expected to share that information prior to September.
It says the health and safety guidelines will include requirements for hand washing and hygiene, cleaning and maintaining safe distancing in schools, as well as protocols for school buses and managing illness and absences.
Education Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee says in a statement that students returning to class is an important part of the return to Yukon’s so-called new normal.
“Children need to see their teachers and to be with each other in a healthy learning environment,” she said. “If carefully planned, schools can be safe places to learn even in the presence of COVID.”