Local students may not go back to school before end of the year: sources
London, Ont. -
Schools in the London region and across Ontario may not reopen before the end of the school year.
According to CTV Toronto sources say the government's planning and priorities committee made the initial decision on Monday not to reopen schools for the remaining weeks of June, including on a regional basis.
The means that thousands of students in Middlesex-London and other local regions will remain in remote learning for the remainder of the year.
The move comes despite calls from medical professionals across the province to allow kids to return to school.
Among those voices are Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams.
"My position has been always, like our public health measures table and our medical officers of health, that feel that schools should be the last to close and the first to open," Williams said at a news conference last week.
According to CTV Toronto the decision was made at the committee level and could change at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
It is not clear when the government will make its final decision but on Monday Ford said a decision was coming in the next day or two.
Schools in London and surrounding regions have been closed since mid-April and there were numerous calls for them to reopen for even a couple weeks before the summer.
Locally both major boards, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) and London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) both said they are ready to welcome back students if given the greenlight.
However the union representing elementary teachers for TVDSB said it was not worth the risk for a few weeks of classes.
With files from CTV Toronto's Colin D'Mello and Sean Davidson.
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