B.C. students won’t be back in classrooms on the originally planned start date of September 8.

That’s according to Education Minister Rob Fleming who says staff will return to work on that day. Students are expected to be welcomed back into classrooms later in the second week of September, though an exact date was not immediately clear.

“Really the idea is to get staff back together. Whether it’s support staff, teachers, administrators, to finalize how the school operations are going to work,” Fleming said. “A thorough review of the BC Centre for Disease Control guidelines and then to accept students back later in in the first few days of school.”

Fleming adds the government and its steering committee are working to finalize how school operations will work. He did say that the previous way students traditionally attended school in the first week – where they return to their old classrooms before moving to new ones – is not a safe practice during the pandemic.

There is expected to be a formal announcement in about a week’s time around the start of school.

Earlier in the week, Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry said all COVID-19 cases in schools will be investigated though she noted that not everyone may need to isolate, as that will depend on the situation.

Henry also reiterated her statement that masks can interfere with a students’ ability to learn, though she noted that it can help in situations where physical distancing is difficult.  She also said it is normal for some parents to be anxious about the return to school plan.

Premier John Horgan has previously said that he is confident that children will be safe when they return to class. The Premier previously hinted that the school year will start on time, though he hinted that that could be altered if the circumstances change.

The BC Teachers Federation and B.C. Principals and Vice-Principals Association have been asking for the province to consider pushing back the start of the school year.

– With files from The Canadian Press