LONDON, ONT. -- The April Spring Break is officially over, which means tens of thousands of students in London and surrounding areas are set to head back to school, online.
For the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) the region’s biggest school board, it means coordinating more than 80,000 students and 10,000 staff.
Elementary and high school students are returning to a form of online learning Monday.
For many students Monday may be more focused on assignment based independent online learning, but by Tuesday students are expected to spend a significant portion of their day doing real-time learning with their teachers.
While remote learning isn’t new for families, it doesn’t mean it is simple.
Parents and caregivers are also trying to work during this time. For many teachers it means monitoring your class and your own kids at home as well.
How long will it last? An answer on that is not entirely clear.
On Friday TVDSB director Mark Fisher said they are prepared for the possibility that remote learning could last until the summer.
Meanwhile Medical Officer of Health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit Dr. Chris Mackie has repeatedly said schools should be last to close and first to open.
Ontario's state of emergency and stay-at-home order will now be in effect until at least May 20.
If schools were to stay closed for a similar amount of time it would leave roughly five-six weeks left for in person learning.
For more information on the pivot to online learning follow this link.
