Plan Unveiled for resumption of Postsecondary Schooling

 

At 1:30 today, Premier Doug Ford unveiled the plan for the gradual and safe resumption of in-person instruction at postsecondary institutions across the province for the summer term.

Starting in July 2020, limited in-person education and training may restart for students who were not able to graduate due to COVID-19 closures. This first phase beginning in July will allow in-person instruction to students in essential, frontline, and high labour market demand areas, such as nursing, personal support workers, engineering, and other critical professions.  In September, all students will have the opportunity to attend postsecondary education through virtual learning, in-class instruction, or hybrid formats.

“Whether it’s donating PPE, researching a vaccine or treatment, or helping with contact tracing, our students, researchers and postsecondary community in Ontario have stepped up in a big way to support our frontline health care workers in response to COVID-19,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Now, we have to have their backs and make sure our students can keep learning, in class or virtually, and become the next generation of frontline heroes, innovators and community builders.”

“It’s critical that we allow students to complete their studies and graduate so they can join the workforce in high-demand, frontline roles and help put the province back on the path to prosperity,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “I will continue to collaborate with the postsecondary sector to determine how best to move forward on reopening our campuses in the fall and beyond in a way that is responsible and safe for our students and staff.”

The Ontario government is also working on a digital and academic modernization framework this summer.