A scan of K to 12 education policies across Canada reveals a glaring reality; while all provinces and territories have detailed safety strategies for schools, few have articulated a vision or guidelines to manage, assess, or respond to the educational impact of COVID-19.
In January 2022, People for Education conducted a pan-Canadian scan of K to 12 education strategies in response to COVID-19. The information came from government websites and media stories focusing on provincial/territorial strategies, guidelines, and resources in areas such as broader learning opportunities (e.g., extracurricular activities, experiential courses, co-op placements), educator resources, student supports, exams and graduation requirements, and data collection measures.
A range of educational responses
The scan reveals that only four out of the thirteen provinces and territories have developed comprehensive documents that provide both guidelines and goals to support students and staff as they deal with the ongoing impacts of the pandemic:
