COVID-19 Info Centre

Announcement: Indefinite suspension of all in-class instruction for BC’s K-12 learners

Today the provincial government announced that it would be indefinitely suspending all in-class instruction for BC’s K-12 learners. This temporary measure – in response to the COVID-19 outbreak – is being put in place to help keep our students, staff, families and wider community safe.

There are many questions we know you have. We have many ourselves.

We are working with all our partners in this – health authorities, the Ministry of Education and various other stakeholder groups – to help build the plan.

What we do know was included in today’s briefing, where Minister Fleming guided us through the basic direction we have so far:

  • Each district has been tasked with submitting plans around how to ensure continuity of learning for its students
  • Every student will receive a final mark
  • All students on track to graduate this year will graduate
  • The province is working with post-secondary institutions to make sure the transition for our grade 12 graduates is supported
  • Plans to accommodate the specific child care needs for students whose parents are on the frontline of fighting the COVID-19 outbreak (such as our province’s health care workers) are being made

The formal announcement from the Ministry can be found here: MinistryOfEd-covid-letter-school-suspension

Over the next days and weeks plans will become better established and we’ll have answers to more of your questions. We’ll continue to communicate with you as we know more.

For more information on COVID-19 and for updates on what we’re doing as a district, please connect with us here: https://newwestschools.ca/coronavirus/

And, as Minister Fleming also said today: we will return down the road.

But, in the meantime, we thank you for your patience as we work through this fast-moving situation together,

Karim Hachlaf
Superintendent of Schools / CEO