THUNDER BAY - Students will remain out of the classroom until at least May as the province continues to try and slow the spread of COVID-19.
The provincial government announced on Tuesday that all publically funded schools will remain closed until May 1 for teachers and May 4 for students.
“The situation continues to change day by day and hour by hour,” Premier Doug Ford said during a news conference from Queen’s Park on Tuesday. “In order to protect our children we are prepared to extend these closures even further if we have to.”
The Ford government first announced the closure of all publically funded schools as of March 14, the first province to do so in the country.
“Our medical experts are telling us that the next two weeks are absolutely critical for the province of Ontario,” Ford said. “That is why we have extended the declaration of emergency for the next two weeks.”
Ford said he understands it will be challenging for families, but the provincial government will continue to support families and students during this time.
“Nothing is more important than the education of our children, that is why we will continue to support families doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
All private schools and licensed child care centres will remain closed until April 13 as per the declaration of emergency, which only allows for closures to be extended for one 14-day period at a time.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce said the province will ensure that students do not lose the academic year, particularly grade 12 students looking to graduate.
“To those students, we will do whatever it takes to ensure you graduate this summer,” he said. “We will ensure there will be no barriers to accessing post-secondary pathways.”
The province is also launching the second phase of its Learn from Home initiative including providing digital resources for online learning, distributing laptops and other devices to school boards in accordance with public health precautions, supporting students on track to graduate, reconnecting students with teachers and other school staff.
“We will do whatever it takes to keep students safe from COVID-19 - which is why we have extended the school closure period and why we have unveiled a teacher-led program that keeps students learning while at home," Lecce said. "By providing clarity for parents, enhancing support for students and enabling the teacher-student relationship, we are ensuring our children continue to safely learn - providing some sense of stability and hope for them amid this difficulty."
Earlier on Tuesday, the province also announced a moratorium on Ontario Student Assistance Program payments for a six-month period.
