The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has released a tentative plan for a return to school in September, which included a provision that all students could be attending in-person classes five days a week.
The TDSB’s plan follows the release of a back-to-school outline by the provincial government on Thursday.
Under the plan, which still needs approval from the board of trustees, secondary students would attend classes for half of the instructional day, five days per week, and would have four semesters in the school year.
Class sizes would be approximately fifteen students for every teacher. The other half of the instructional day would include learning from home.
Elementary school students would be in class for five full days per week in one cohort, including for recess and lunch.
“We do not know what this year has in store and we will need to be responsive to ensure the safety of our community,” interim TDSB director of education Carlene Jackson added.
“This may mean changes to the model throughout the year, and while we cannot avoid it, we can be prepared for it.”
As mentioned in the provincial government’s Thursday announcement, safety measures — including the use of personal protective equipment and physical distancing — will be in place in all schools.
If approved, the TDSB plan notes that high school students would not be permitted to use lockers or eat lunch in school.
Meanwhile, parents and students may opt to have schooling fully online if they would like.
The plan says organized sports and field trips would be suspended amid the pandemic and adds that schools must be ready to pivot away from in-class instruction and towards fully remote learning if the need arises.
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