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The Saanich School District superintendent says some of the federal funding earmarked for schools will be used to create a new remote learning school to keep up with the demand for online learning.
Dave Eberwein said demand for the South Island Distance Education School (SIDES) is so high this year, it will likely have at least twice as many students as last year. Eberwein said it’s too early to provide enrolment figures “because the numbers keep changing hourly.”
Eberwein estimates that in a typical year, the distributed learning school has 270 full-time equivalent spaces, but because some students enrol part-time, the actual number of students could be much higher than 270.
The Saanich School District is also hiring more teachers to staff the new remote learning option available for students from kindergarten to Grade 12. Remote learning will focus on core academic subjects and will be similar to the online learning students received in April and May, in which teachers communicate with groups of students or individually through Microsoft Teams video chat.
Students will need to choose between remote learning and in-class instruction.
A survey sent to parents by the school district indicates about 90 per cent of students plan to return to in-person classes this Sept. 10, which is “phenomenal,” Eberwein said, although some parents have yet to fill out the survey.
An online survey by the Greater Victoria School District found that about 80 per cent of families who responded favoured full-time face-to-face instruction for their children, while only 14 per cent wanted a “hybrid” option that combines in-class and remote instruction.
Eberwein said remote learning will start near the end of September, to give the district time to finalize numbers of students, and staff accordingly. “We usually have a handle on who is coming and who is not, but it’s really uncertain at this time.”
Distributed learning, which is what SIDES offers, is different from homeschooling in that the courses are taught and assessed online by a B.C.-certified teacher, whereas homeschooling is provided by a parent and is not under the direction of a qualified teacher.
Distributed learning is often used by students who stay home because of a medical condition, students who travel the world because they’re athletes or performers, or those whose parents prefer they learn from home, Eberwein said.
The Saanich School District says it’s also looking at ways to support teachers who cannot teach in-person classes because of a confirmed medical condition.
The Sooke School District has a distributed learning program for students Grade 9 to 12 through the Westshore Centre for Learning, but no such program for elementary-aged students.
On Thursday, Education Minister Rob Fleming said it will be up to B.C. school districts to decide where best to devote more than $242 million in federal funding to reopen schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fleming said school districts have different needs as they prepare to welcome back hundreds of thousands of students next week. He said he’s heard about calls for smaller class sizes and more teachers, concerns about physical distancing in classrooms and remote learning options, but every district is different and they will decide what is most needed.
Eberwein said the school district should know by Friday how much money it will receive. Aside from remote learning, the funding will cover extra cleaning costs, increased bus transportation to accommodate students with varied timetables and personal protective equipment, he said.
Fleming said the federal money will be disbursed to school districts on a per-pupil basis in two payments later this month and in January. He says the initial amount is $101.1 million in September and the second amount set for January is $121.8 million.
B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Teri Mooring said in a statement she welcomes Fleming’s update, which highlights key priorities that include hiring additional teachers and staff.
— with files from the Canadian Press
kderosa@timescolonist.com