In-Person Learning To Return

WINNIPEG - The province says it’s planning to have all students return to full time in-person learning in the fall.

Education Minister Cliff Cullen says while K to 12 students will be going back to school when it resumes on September 7, the province’s Remote Learning Support Centre for students in K to Grade 8 will still to be available, backed by $5 million in funding, for students who have been instructed to stay home for medical reasons.

Cullen says school divisions are preparing for various scenarios, though, as they did last year. “Final details for reopening schools will be brought forward in August to ensure the measures reflect Manitoba’s public health situation at that time,” Cullen explains. “Our focus continues to be on the classroom, and determining ways to provide the best education in any circumstances, for the benefit of our students, through the excellent work of teachers, educational assistants, and education officials.”

The province says it’s investing $58 million toward student mental health and well-being, as well as preventing classroom transmission of COVID-19 during the upcoming school year.

The minister notes that consultations regarding the province’s “Better Education Starts Today” strategy are continuing throughout the summer, and says efforts to improve the education system are aimed at giving parents a greater voice through community councils and other forms of engagement, and supporting principals and teachers in providing the best learning environments for their students.

As the previous school year wraps up, Cullen is thanking teachers and other education staff, students, and parents for their dedication and hard work throughout the pandemic.

“I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of parents and the entire school community in their attempts to make graduation memorable in the absence of formal celebrations this year,” Cullen says. “To the graduating class of 2021, congratulations on this achievement. You have persevered through a school year like no other, and your hard work has paid off.”