Ontario's High School Students Reportedly Could Go Back To School Before Elementary Kids

Some students in Ontario may have to wait longer than January 17 to get back to their classrooms.

On January 3, the Ford administration delayed the return to in-person learning until at least January 17. During this time, students across the province are taking their classes remotely.

The Toronto Star reports, however, that high school students could make it back to schools sooner than elementary students due to higher vaccination levels.

A government source told the publication that they could see high schools returning to in-person lessons by January 17 for fully vaccinated students, while elementary schools might have to wait longer.

According to the source, this is because more elementary students between 5 and 12 years old still need to get a COVID-19 vaccine, whereas high school students had a longer time period to get vaccinated.

Based on the Ontario government's COVID-19 vaccination data, only 2.6% of children 5 to 11 years old are fully vaccinated, and 45.2% have gotten one dose. Meanwhile, 82.5% of Ontarians aged 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated, with 86.1% partially vaccinated.

Some of Ontario's teachers' unions penned letters to Premier Doug Ford that expressed their disappointment over the current public health measures.

"This shift to remote learning is frustrating because we know it could have been avoided had the province funded and implemented safety measures at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and not half-measures. We recognize the hardships that come with another round of remote learning. To ensure this is the last time we need this emergency measure, we will continue to call on the Ford government to invest in adequate infection prevention measures," Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario President Karen Brown wrote.

Some of the recommendations of the ETFO include providing N95 masks to all education workers, installing HEPA filters in classrooms and shared school spaces, and prioritizing access to booster doses for education workers.

On January 6, the Ontario government announced it would be accelerating booster doses for education and child care staff and would provide access to doses at a mass vaccination clinic in Mississauga.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.