By Troy Gillard

Education Minister says plan is sound

LaGrange says province won’t delay school start date, boards can set their own

Aug 21, 2020 | 3:04 PM

Despite a request by teachers to wait until after Labour Day, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says Alberta will not be delaying the start of the school year.

She does say, however, that schools boards can make these decisions on their own.

“While our re-entry plan, as written, already provides school boards with the ability to delay or stagger school start dates should they decide that is in their local best interest, I agreed to further engage with education partners and get their views on this ATA request,” LaGrange said in a statement Friday afternoon.

“These partners remain confident, as do I, that the school re-entry plan already provides local school authorities with the autonomy and flexibility to ensure local needs are met and to prepare schools for a safe re-entry.”

LaGrange said she has reviewed all planned re-entry dates for school districts across the province.

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“I see that time is clearly available to allow teachers to prepare for re-entry before their students arrive,” she suggested. “These plans and timelines were created by school boards who continue to follow the expert medical advice of Alberta’s chief medical officer of health.”

The Alberta Teachers’ Association, which met with LaGrange on Wednesday, said delaying the start of school by a week until after Labour Day would allow for more planning to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

LaGrange’s statement came on a day where protests were held across the province to voice concerns about the government’s back-to-school plan.

A total of 27 rallies were to be held outside offices belonging to United Conservative Party MLA’s. A similar rally took place outside LaGrange’s Red Deer-North office this past Tuesday.

Organizers of the rallies say parents are concerned that school boards are not being provided with enough money to ensure the safety of staff and students returning to classrooms.