Schools and child care centres in Ontario will remain closed to teachers until Friday, May 1, and to students until Monday, May 4.
Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Premier Doug Ford says the closures will remain in place to protect the health and safety of students and staff.
"The decision to extend school closures was not made lightly. We know from the medical experts that the next two weeks will be critical in the fight against COVID-19 and that's why we're taking further action to keep our kids safe and healthy by having them stay home," said Premier Ford. "At the same time, we cannot put the school year in jeopardy. That's why we're providing additional tools for at-home learning and ensuring students from kindergarten to Grade 12 to postsecondary education can finish their academic year and get the credits they need to graduate."
The government is also launching the second phase of Learn at Home. Developed in conjunction with education partners, the government says it is establishing clarity for parents, enhancing education supports, and creating opportunities for teachers and educators to connect with students.
The second phase of Learn at Home features a new set of expectations for the education community, including:
- Reconnecting students with teachers and other school staff, including mental health workers
- Re-establishing teacher-led learning by grade groupings as follows:
- Kindergarten-Grade 3: five hours of work per student/week (focus on literacy and math)
- Grades 4-6: five hours of work per student/week (focus on literacy, math, science and social studies)
- Grades 7-8: 10 hours of work per student/week (focus on math, literacy, science and social studies)
- Grades 9-12: three hours of work per course per week for semestered students; 1.5 hours of work per course per week for non-semestered students (focus on achieving credits/completion/graduation)
Private schools, licensed child care centres and EarlyON programs will also remain closed until April 13, according to the Declaration of Emergency, which only allows closures to be extended for one 14-day period at a time.
According to a release from the provincial government, the extension is being made on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
The release also states that the closure may be extended if necessary to protect the health and safety of students, families and staff.