Reopening of primary schools and daycare centers on May 11

Reopening of primary schools and daycare centers on May 11

Quebec plans to gradually re-open elementary schools and daycare centers on May 11, 2020. High school, college and university students will not return to class until September.

However, schools will not be mandatory and will only be on a voluntary basis.

When announcing this gradual return, the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, indicated that schools will have to apply hygiene and social distancing measures, for example limiting the number of students to 15 per class.

Schools will have to apply hygiene and social distancing measures recommended by public health authorities. The number of students per room will be reduced to 15 and the distance of two meters must be respected. School transportation services will also be affected by new standards that will be applied on school buses.

According to the Minister, this reopening will be subjected to a continuous re-evaluation. All staff will initially be able to return to schools on May 4, to prepare for return to class.

Childcare
The network of educational childcare services will be gradually reopened, first to the list of essential workers, then will be adapted to the schedule for the reopening of different sectors of the Quebec economy.

The Minister of Families, Mathieu Lacombe.

The educator-child ratio will remain at 50% for the first stages. Children whose parents do not wish to return them to their childcare service will keep their usual place until they return to normal activities of the educational childcare services.

The Quebec government will end emergency child care on May 11. Parents who hold a job appearing on the list of essential services and activities may therefore return their child to their usual daycare.

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Reopening details

– Reopening of primary schools and daycare centers on May 11

– Return to school is not mandatory

– The establishments and emergency childcare services will be accessible to school staff from the week of May 4

– Hygiene measures will be implemented in schools according to the recommendations of the public health authorities

– Physical distance standards and a maximum 15 students per classroom will be imposed

– For health and safety reasons, any person, student or member of staff, who presents a health vulnerabilities (chronic illness, serious immune deficiency, pregnancy or breastfeeding, person aged 60 or over) should not return to school until further notice

– Any student or staff member showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be banned from attending schools for a period of 14 day period. In the case of a student, educational and professional support will be offered during this period
 
– With regard to students in vocational training and in general adult education, they will be able to resume their learning, but in various ways (online courses, distance learning, etc.). However, at no time should more than 50% of the students be in class simultaneously for the practical aspects of their training.

– Colleges and universities, meanwhile, will remain closed until further notice. Distance learning according to current arrangements can continue for the summer session 2020

– The reopening of the childcare network will be done in several successive phases, depending on the rate of reopening of the various sectors of the economy across the different regions of Quebec
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