Education Minister says April spring break will go ahead

NDP demands government give families and teachers a clear answer

Postponing spring break is not in the cards, at least for now, according to the Education Minister.

In the legislature on Tuesday, Stephen Lecce said if a change needs to be made to the April break, he will let families know well in advance.

“When it comes to April break, we plan to proceed,” Lecce said.

With infections now rising in the province, questions had been raised about whether the government might alter spring break once again.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the government needs to give families and teachers a clear answer.

“The ongoing uncertainty around our education system is problematic. It’s not what kids and students and teachers and parents need right now,” she said Tuesday.

When quizzed about the April break at a media briefing on Monday, Premier Doug Ford said he couldn’t give a direct answer on whether the break would be postponed or altered.

“To be very frank, I don’t want to predict two weeks out,” Ford said.

Some education workers and unions representing teachers have recommended switching to online-only classes after Easter until at least late April, but keeping the existing plan for the spring break.

The Ford government announced in February the March break for students would be delayed nearly a month until the week of April 12. At the time, the rationale behind the decision was that having two million students on holiday would increase the risk of spreading the virus.

Now the province is faced with a situation where COVID-19 cases are soaring and projected to be worse by mid-April than they were in mid-March.

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