TORONTO -- Schools in four other Ontario regions will be returning to in-person learning next week, the government confirms.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said that kids within Ottawa, Middlesex-London, and Southwestern and Eastern Ontario’s public health units will return to the classroom on Monday.
"On the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, with the support of the local Medical Officers of Health, and with the introduction of additional layers of protection, 280,000 students in four public health regions will return to class on Monday, February 1,” Lecce said.
According to the province, this means that 520,000 students are now able to continue their education in class.
Parents in the regions of Toronto, Peel, York, Windsor-Essex and Hamilton were previously told their children would not be returning to the classroom until at least Feb. 10, while schools in northern Ontario reopened for in-person instruction on Jan. 11.
Here is a list of the school boards now open in southern Ontario:
• Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
• Bluewater District School Board
• Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board
• Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board
• Limestone District School Board
• Renfrew County Catholic District School Board
• Renfrew County District School Board
Here is a list of school boards scheduled to reopen on Feb. 1:
• Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
• Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario
• Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l'Est ontarien
• Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Centre-Est de l'Ontario
• London District Catholic School Board
• Ottawa Catholic District School Board
• Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
• Thames Valley District School Board
• Upper Canada District School Board
According to the province, parents with children in the following school boards should double check with their local public health units about their status:
• Conseil scolaire catholique Providence
• Conseil scolaire Viamonde