Education

FILE – A physical distancing sign is seen during a media tour of Hastings Elementary school in Vancouver on September 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

34% of teachers say they’d look to an early career exit over COVID response: BCTF survey

Pandemic has increased workload for the majority of teachers

FILE – A physical distancing sign is seen during a media tour of Hastings Elementary school in Vancouver on September 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Salmon Arm’s Okanagan College campus. (submitted)

Healthcare program offers way for Okanagan College student to connect with ailing mother

Susan Kyle has already launched her own business after finishing courses at Salmon Arm campus

Salmon Arm’s Okanagan College campus. (submitted)
B.C.’s Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training announced funding to train community mental health workers at four B.C. post-secondary institutions. (Stock photo)

B.C. funding training of mental health workers at four post-secondary institutions

Provincial government says pandemic has intensified need for mental health supports

B.C.’s Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training announced funding to train community mental health workers at four B.C. post-secondary institutions. (Stock photo)
Students from another school board a bus outside Thorncliffe Park Public School in Toronto on Friday December 4, 2020. Toronto Public Health closed the school due to a COVID19 outbreak. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Experts call for community sacrifices to ensure COVID-19 safety in schools

Kids in British Columbia returned to public school after a two-week winter break last week

Students from another school board a bus outside Thorncliffe Park Public School in Toronto on Friday December 4, 2020. Toronto Public Health closed the school due to a COVID19 outbreak. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
FILE – Children walk with their parents to Sherwood Park Elementary in North Vancouver for the first day back-to-school Thursday, September 10, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

BCTF blasts ‘one size fits all’ school COVID plan, calls for transparency from Henry, Dix

Most students returned from the winter holiday break on Jan. 4

FILE – Children walk with their parents to Sherwood Park Elementary in North Vancouver for the first day back-to-school Thursday, September 10, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Ranchero Elementary was listed by Interior Health as a school with a potential exposure to COVID-19 during the week prior to the winter break, but it has since been cleared. (Google maps photo)

Ranchero Elementary removed from Interior Health’s ‘School Exposures’ list

School reopened on Jan. 4 along with others in North Okanagan-Shuswap School District

Ranchero Elementary was listed by Interior Health as a school with a potential exposure to COVID-19 during the week prior to the winter break, but it has since been cleared. (Google maps photo)
Olivia Meleta, a high school math teacher, is photographed near her Thornhill, Ont., home on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. From texting friends on the sly to downloading apps that spit out answers, educators say the pandemic-induced move to an online classroom has offered up a wealth of tech-driven workarounds to actually doing the work. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Cheating a ‘free-for-all’ at virtual high schools, Canadian teachers say

Stress from the pandemic has collided with the pressure to get good grades

Olivia Meleta, a high school math teacher, is photographed near her Thornhill, Ont., home on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. From texting friends on the sly to downloading apps that spit out answers, educators say the pandemic-induced move to an online classroom has offered up a wealth of tech-driven workarounds to actually doing the work. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
The Walking Curriculum gets students outside and connecting with nature. (Amanda Peterson/Special to S.F. Examiner)

‘Walking Curriculum’ crafted by SFU professor surges in popularity

The outdoor curriculum encourages students to connect with the natural world

The Walking Curriculum gets students outside and connecting with nature. (Amanda Peterson/Special to S.F. Examiner)
Langley School District's board office. (Langley Advance Times files)

‘Sick Out’ aims to pressure B.C. schools over masks, class sizes

Parents from Langley and Surrey are worried about COVID safety in classrooms

Langley School District's board office. (Langley Advance Times files)
A sign encouraging students to wear a mask in classrooms released Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. (BCTF)

BCTF asks parents to ‘create a culture of mask wearing’ as schools excluded from new rules

New indoor mask mandate does not include schools

A sign encouraging students to wear a mask in classrooms released Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. (BCTF)
A physical distancing sign is seen during a media tour of Hastings Elementary school in Vancouver, Wednesday, September 2, 2020. British Columbia’s education minister hopes the government will be able to entirely avoid school closures under any scenario but it would defer to advice from public health officials should COVID-19 cases worsen. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

B.C. education minister wants to avoid school closures completely

Four out of 643 schools in the Fraser Health district have been closed

A physical distancing sign is seen during a media tour of Hastings Elementary school in Vancouver, Wednesday, September 2, 2020. British Columbia’s education minister hopes the government will be able to entirely avoid school closures under any scenario but it would defer to advice from public health officials should COVID-19 cases worsen. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Surrey teachers demonstrate what classrooms look like in their school district amid the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020. (BCTF)

B.C. teachers’ union calls on Horgan to limit Fraser Health class sizes to 15 students

Three schools have temporarily shut down in Fraser Health due to COVID-19 outbreaks

Surrey teachers demonstrate what classrooms look like in their school district amid the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020. (BCTF)
President of the BC Teacher’s Federation (BCTF) Teri Mooring is interviewed outside the Victoria Convention Centre in Victoria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. British Columbia’s Labour Relations Board says it will provide neutral third-party “troubleshooters” to help iron out challenges arising from COVID-19 and related protocols in schools. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

B.C. labour board to provide neutral ‘troubleshooters’ for COVID-19 school plans

The BC Teachers’ Federation filed an application to the board in September asking for help

President of the BC Teacher’s Federation (BCTF) Teri Mooring is interviewed outside the Victoria Convention Centre in Victoria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. British Columbia’s Labour Relations Board says it will provide neutral third-party “troubleshooters” to help iron out challenges arising from COVID-19 and related protocols in schools. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Alberta's provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Monday, July 6, 2020. Advisers are reportedly recommending Alberta's kindergarten to Grade 4 arts and social studies curriculum remove all references to residential schools because it's "too sad" for young children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Advisers suggest Alberta students not learn about residential schools before Grade 4

Documents suggest children younger than Grade 4 are too emotionally vulnerable to learn about residential schools

Alberta's provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Monday, July 6, 2020. Advisers are reportedly recommending Alberta's kindergarten to Grade 4 arts and social studies curriculum remove all references to residential schools because it's "too sad" for young children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
(Pixabay)

Vancouver teacher suspended after swearing, touching students and complimenting underwear

McCabe touched students, including rubbing their backs and necks, touching their hair and hugging them

(Pixabay)
Bernard Trest and his son Max, 10, are concerned about B.C.’s plan for students in the classroom. He was one of two fathers who filed a court application in August to prevent schools from reopening if stricter COVID-19 protections weren’t in place. That application was dismissed last week. (Contributed photo)

B.C. dad pledges to appeal quashed call for mandatory masks, distancing in schools

Bernard Trest and Gary Shuster challenged health, education ministries’ return-to-school plan

Bernard Trest and his son Max, 10, are concerned about B.C.’s plan for students in the classroom. He was one of two fathers who filed a court application in August to prevent schools from reopening if stricter COVID-19 protections weren’t in place. That application was dismissed last week. (Contributed photo)
Ruby Pahtayken began her studies at Okangan College in March of 2019, in the inaugural semester of the Indigenous Culinary Arts program. (Okanagan College Photo)

Virtual tour of Okanagan College will include chance to win $5,000 giveaway

Nov. 8 event offers chance to see school and learn about courses.

Ruby Pahtayken began her studies at Okangan College in March of 2019, in the inaugural semester of the Indigenous Culinary Arts program. (Okanagan College Photo)
The Surrey school district classrooms using physical distancing in September 2020. (Photo: Lauren Collins)

Parent group plans school walkout over B.C.’s handling of COVID-19 in classrooms

Right to Fight COVID-19 group calling on parents to keep kids home on Oct. 20

The Surrey school district classrooms using physical distancing in September 2020. (Photo: Lauren Collins)
FILE – Bernard Trest and his son Max, 10, are concerned about B.C.’s plan for students to return to the classroom in September. Trest is one of two fathers who filed a court application to prevent schools from reopening if stricter COVID-19 protections aren’t in place. (Contributed photo)

B.C. Supreme Court tosses parents’ challenge of province’s school reopening plans

Court challenge had requested mandatory masks and more physical distancing

FILE – Bernard Trest and his son Max, 10, are concerned about B.C.’s plan for students to return to the classroom in September. Trest is one of two fathers who filed a court application to prevent schools from reopening if stricter COVID-19 protections aren’t in place. (Contributed photo)
FILE – A physical distancing sign is seen during a media tour of Hastings Elementary school in Vancouver on September 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

59% of B.C. teachers say COVID-19 safety measures in schools are inadequate: BCTF poll

Students have made up less than 10 per cent of B.C.’s cases, health officials say

FILE – A physical distancing sign is seen during a media tour of Hastings Elementary school in Vancouver on September 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward