By CKPG Today with files from Canadian Press

School participation

Over 85% of K-12 students in B.C. return for in-class learning

Sep 18, 2020 | 8:19 AM

VICTORIA — New numbers released by B.C.’s provincial government shows families have embraced sending their kids back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Early attendance numbers show more than 85 per cent of K-12 students returned for in-class learning, with increased staffing and supports, according to a government survey,” says the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry of Education surveyed school districts and independent schools to find out what investments they were making and how they were supporting students and staff during the pandemic. To date, 44 public school districts and 129 independent schools have reported to the ministry.

The ministry says in preparation for the September restart, many school districts hired staff and added staff hours. Of the school districts that have responded to date, 1,526 new positions have been created:

• 624 additional teachers hired in 34 school districts and 157,000 additional staff hours;
• 73 educational assistants hired in 12 school districts and 5,100 additional staff hours;
• 542 custodial staff in 38 school districts hired and 386,000 additional staff hours; and
• 287 positions such as school counsellors, bus drivers or admininstrative staff in 23 school districts and 38,000 staff hours.

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The ministry says thousand of laptops and tablets have also been purchased for remote or online learning. School District 39 (Vancouver) used restart funding to purchase 2,000 devices for students, SD 61 (Greater Victoria) purchased 1,660 new devices and School District 44 (North Vancouver) purchased 1,100 devices.

Over 20,400 hand-sanitizing stations have been made available for students and staff and the ministry has provided funding for 1.5 million non-medical masks – enough for every public school staff member and student to have at least two masks.

The province also announced yesterday that students in kindergarten to Grade 12 will now be able to get tested for COVID-19 with a new saline gargle that’s swished around in the mouth and spit into a tube.

Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry says it’s one of the first sample-collection programs of its kind in the world.

She says the test for children aged four to 19 is available at sample collection centres around the province and is more comfortable than a nasal swab.