WINNIPEG – Classroom learning will resume on September 8th for all students in kindergarten through grade 12.

“The province is welcoming students back to classrooms for the new school year, while working closely with school divisions and Public Health,” said education minister Kelvin Goertzen. “The best place for students is in class, giving them the full benefits of the tremendous work of Manitoba teachers and providing parents and caregivers with certainty that their children are receiving the best education possible.”

School divisions and schools will follow provincial guidelines to finalize and post plans by the middle of next month.

Learning in classrooms will be full-time for students in kindergarten through grade eight and for special-needs students in all grades, with five days of instruction per week. Some remote learning may be required for students in grades nine to 12, based on the ability of high schools to implement necessary public health measures including physical distancing and the use of designated groups of students to minimize the risk of CoVid-19 transmission and to support contact tracing.

Divisions must ensure that all students learning remotely have access to technology.

The wearing of masks won’t be mandatory but Goertzen says that could change depending on what happens with the virus.