Parents with the Greater Essex County District School Board have until the end of this week to decide whether to opt out of in-person learning.
With the Ontario government outlining its back-to-school plan on Tuesday, the option for remote learning remains available for those who may not be comfortable sending their kids back to a physical school. To that end, the public board has provided a form for parents to send in if they want their kids to learn remotely.
The deadline to submit the form is midnight Friday. After the deadline, it will be suggested by the board that the student will learn in person for the entire 2021-22 school year.
Elementary students who have chosen to opt-out will be entered in the GEC Virtual Elementary School, with a timetable similar to the 2020-21 school year. Those who enroll in virtual learning must commit to it for at least one term, from September 2021 to late January 2022.
For secondary students, the learning model for September will be based on the number of students who opt-out. Remote methods may include hybrid learning, e-Learning, a virtual school, or courses available at the board's alternative secondary school. Students who opt-out may be placed in one of those learning disciplines.
Both elementary and secondary students must remain with in-person learning for the entire school year. There will be no option offered to switch for the second term, which will run from late January to June 2022.
The opt-out form can be found on the board's official website.