“Experts across Canada and around the world continue to stress the importance of in-person learning to the overall health of our children and our youth,” Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said at a news conference on Wednesday. “I, myself, have heard overwhelmingly from families that learning in person is best for children.

“Most children feel more connected, they learn better and generally thrive when they are at school in person. This is why Alberta’s government has placed such a priority on safe in-classroom instruction and on making sure that our schools have the tools that the

LaGrange said before coming with the province’s plan to return students to in-person learning, her government looked at decisions being made by other jurisdictions like in British Columbia and Manitoba.

1:20COVID-19: Alberta education minister confirms return to in-class learning Jan. 10

COVID-19: Alberta education minister confirms return to in-class learning Jan. 10

Last week, LaGrange announced Alberta was extending the student winter break provincewide and that students wouldn’t return to class until Jan. 10. She said this was to allow schools and school divisions to assess what is needed to resume in-person learning safely and to prepare accordingly.

“Once again, the shifting nature of the virus required all of us to pause and re-evaluate the best path forward for the second half of the school year” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said at Wednesday’s news conference. “We all know the impacts that being away from the classroom can have on our children’s mental health, learning and social interaction.

“We know that COVID(-19) infection has a low but not zero risk for children. We also know that in-person learning is critically important for many kids’ educational and social development and can provide a sense of stability and normalcy in these challenging times.

“There are no perfect, completely risk-free solutions available to us or any jurisdiction around the world and I believe the provincial approach balances the many competing risks that our children face.”

1:00Hinshaw believes back-to-school plan ‘balances’ COVID-19 risks for students

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  Hinshaw believes back-to-school plan ‘balances’ COVID-19 risks for students
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  Shutting schools across Alberta would impose much greater harm to students: Hinshaw

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Alberta K-12 students to return to class Jan. 10 amid record-setting numbers of new COVID-19 cases

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