Grande Prairie students will be returning to in-class learning on Tuesday. Education Minister Adrianna LaGrange says the expectation is that all students outside of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will be heading back to school. The decision was made to hold back students in that as case numbers aren’t trending down at the same rate as other jurisdictions.
“I’m pleased our two-week plan has been successful in nearly all areas of the province,” says LaGrange. “Everyone has worked hard to stop the spike and I am confident all students will finish the remainder of the school year in the classroom.”
All students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 will be returning to in-person learning beginning Tuesday, May 25, 2021.#GPAb #ABEd pic.twitter.com/d4gzfzdmH3
— Grande Prairie Public School Division (@GPPSD2357) May 19, 2021
The province also says that the previously announced expanded rapid screening tests in schools will also be moving ahead. Testing is optional for students and staff who do not have COVID-19 symptoms and who have signed consent forms. Grande Prairie was one of a handful of regions across Alberta to take part in the expansion, alongside Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, and Lethbridge.
Students in the region and across Alberta have been learning online since May 10th or earlier for some in hot spots like Grande Prairie. The move to at-home learning was part of a new slate of COVID-19 related restrictions announced by the provincial government earlier this month.