Teachers in School District 57 are to return to their classrooms on Monday.
The news came in the form of a memo superintendent Anita Richardson issued on May 5, saying the temporary work-from-home agreements will expire next week.
In-class instruction for most students had been suspended on March 17 although the children of essential service workers have been able to attend any of six schools in the district. As for the rest of the student population, teachers have been delivering lessons online.
"As a key component of our province's plan to reopen our economy, I believe that there is a good chance that we will see increase number of students back in our buildings before this school year winds to a close," Richardson said in the memo. "I think that overall, this is a positive advancement as in my heart I know that for most students, no service can replace the face-to-face learning opportunities provided in our public schools."
She said administration will work with principals and supervisors to communicate safe-work protocols. Teachers who still need to work from home are asked to discuss their concerns with their principals.
Prince George and District Teachers Association president Joanne Hapke expressed concern about the "suddenness of the request."
"It just created a lot of anxieties and concerns on the quick turnaround," she said.
She hopes principals will have some compassion for teachers reluctant to go back into their regular classrooms - those with young children or underlying health concerns in particular.
"Everybody has individual and unique concerns that they should really be bringing to their administrators so that everyone who is onsite is feeling healthy and are contributing in a way that is necessary to support our education of children," Hapke said.
B.C.'s deputy health minister said this week the province's schools could see a "full relaunch" in September, although with such measures in place as smaller class sizes, increased space between desks and alternating attendance arrangements.
Hapke said there needs to be a clearly-stated provincial standard rather than allowing school districts to operate autonomously and based on the information they have received.
"Teachers, they want to be with their students but like everyone else, our safety concerns for our families have to be our number-one consideration right now and that is what really should be driving the reopening of all the different businesses and the education sector," Hapke said.
