In-class or online learning? Ottawa parents must decide this week whether kids return to class

OTTAWA — Less than four weeks before the start of the 2020-21 school year, Ottawa parents must decide this week whether to send their kids back to school or enrol in online learning.

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board will send surveys to parents on Monday asking whether their child will attend school in person or by remote learning in September.  Both school boards will also unveil plans for the new school year on Monday.

Parents must indicate whether their child will enrol in online learning by Friday, Aug. 14.

The Ontario Government announced last month that students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 will attend class five days a week, while secondary schools in Ottawa will operate on a hybrid model featuring 50 per cent in-class and 50 per cent online.

Both the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and Ottawa Catholic School Board say parents will be able to switch from online to in-person classes.

In a letter to parents, the Ottawa Catholic School Board says if parents are opting-in for online learning for Kindergarten to Grade 8 students in September, students will be required to participate at home until the first reporting period in November. At that time, options to return to in-class instruction will be reviewed based on available staff and class sizes.

The Catholic school board says Grade 9 to 12 students that choose online learning will commit to distance learning for the first semester.

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board says there may be designated points during the school year when a requested change in learning can be implemented.

Ottawa's French Catholic school board

Ottawa's French Catholic school board says parents have until Thursday to decide whether to send their child to class full-time or opt for online learning.

The Conseil des ecoles catholiques du Centre-Est says parents of 1,700 students have expressed an interest in online learning.

The board is following up with those parents to confirm their interest in the "Online Learning Academy" for September.

Ottawa's French public school board

The Conseil des ecoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario says parents will receive a communication in the coming days asking whether they will send their children for in-person classes or online learning.

If parents choose the Virtual School Learning Program, details of the program will be announced soon.

The board says if parents decide to switch from online to in-person learning for elementary school students, they will need to allow a few weeks for the change to take place to allow for the integration of a new student into a cohort.

Secondary school students will have to complete half a semester before switching from online to in-class learning.