In-person classes are suspended for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, and Yukon students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will resume education by distance on April 16.

The Department of Education had earlier hoped to reopen the schools on April 15.

“I want to assure students, parents and families that learning will continue,” Tracy-Anne McPhee, the minister of Education, told a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

“This is not an easy decision. We have made this decision in the best interests of the health and safety of students, families and communities.”

McPhee was accompanied by the deputy minister of Education, Nicole Morgan.

Every student will receive a year-end report card, and Grade 12 students will still graduate this spring.

Student learning will continue through “alternative learning opportunities” catered to students’ individual needs, based both in academic progress and access to technology.

The Yukon government worked in collaboration with the B.C. Ministry of Education to develop learning continuity requirements for students. School principals and teachers will use these requirements to develop learning plans.

McPhee said students will be provided with a few hours of learning per week, with the intention of not overwhelming students and parents or caretakers.

Younger students will be provided with only three to five hours of learning time per week, with the understanding that caretakers will have to take a larger support role for students too young to learn independently.

“We know it’s not going to be the same for every family,” Morgan said.

If parents are in a position where they would like to commit more time, there will be additional resources available beyond the minimum requirements.

“We are asking parents, in a very general way, to support children in the situation they are in,” McPhee said.

“We are also hopeful parents will take advantage of this time to do other things with their children that are unexpectedly in their home.”

McPhee suggested that other types of learning, beyond academics, can take place during this time, such as reading, outdoor activities, traditional pursuits, journaling and cooking.

This is assuming parents have time to support these activities while working from home, the minister conceded.

Teachers are working to ensure that students can learn independently with staff support.

“To parents and families: please know we do not expect you to turn your kitchens and living rooms into schools and become teachers,” McPhee said.

“Our educators are dedicated to getting students what they need in this unprecedented time.”

Distance education will likely look different at each Yukon school, based on the needs of individual communities.

Education assistants will continue to provide support to students with diverse learning needs. Behavioural therapy and traditional language services will be provided by distance, and work is ongoing to provide special help for the students who need it.

“It’s really about the individual approach,” McPhee said.

She added that a lack of technology will not be allowed to impair any student’s progress.

Families can expect to be contacted by teachers before April 16 with more detailed information on what learning plans will look like.

Some resources and materials to help parents prepare is available on yukon.ca.

For students struggling with the current situation, there is advice available on yukon.ca for parents and caretakers.

“There is a great deal of stress, certainly across the community but within families as well, so we have some tips for helping maintain mental well-being,” Morgan said.

These include keeping a schedule, providing truthful and age-appropriate information on COVID-19, maintaining proper hygiene, validating emotions and helping to focus on other activities.

The student support unit will continue to provide additional resources, Morgan said.

McPhee said her department is meeting with the Canadian ministers of Education and post-secondary education leaders on a weekly basis.

Conversations are underway about graduating students who plan to pursue post-secondary education in the fall.

“Universities and colleges are certainly aware that we have a new normal here,” McPhee said.

Morgan added that national educators at all levels are “at the same table” and dedicated to providing a smooth transition for new collegiates.

McPhee noted that the decision to suspend face-to-face classes, anxiously awaited by Yukon parents for most of March, was made as quickly as possible, given the rapidly changing situation.

Sue Ross, the president of the Yukon Teacher’s Association, told the Star Tuesday she was “heartbroken” when she heard of the decision to close classrooms.

“In my heart of hearts, I thought we might be able to get back in the beginning of May,” Ross said.

“This is the time of year when your class really comes together, all the hard work you’ve done since September.”

She noted that the cancellations of many annual spring events, like graduation ceremonies and class trips to release salmon, are disappointing for students.

Supporting vulnerable students by distance is “tricky,” Ross added, and will be dependent on each individual family’s comfort level with receiving help.

She also noted that while some students have different levels of access to technology, there are also students who might have access to technology but prefer to work on paper. These needs should be adhered to as well, she said.

“I think there’s a lot of flexibility, because teachers know their students best and will know how they’re going to flourish.”

Now, teachers will have their hands full planning for April 16.

“It’s going to be different work, and also hard work, to connect with families, support our most vulnerable students, provide continuity of learning and all the things in between,” Ross said.

“Teachers are digging in and doing their best to ensure they’re able to meet the learning expectations of kids.”

See letter.