Masks encouraged, but not required, this fall at Hamilton schools, post-secondary institutions

As summer draws to a close, students from kindergarten to grad school are gearing up for a new year, set to be the most normal" September since before the pandemic.

The province has stressed that 2022-23 should be disruption-free for elementary and secondary students, who, in Ontario, have missed about 27 weeks since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said earlier this summer kids should have the full student experience," including sports, clubs and other extracurriculars, many of which were cancelled due to COVID.

Here's what Hamilton students can expect as they return to classes this fall:

• Ontario students will not be required to wear masks indoors, a measure that was lifted following March break last year. Both boards say masks are encouraged.

• Like masks, vaccines will be encouraged, but not required.

• Other protocols, such as social distancing, cohorting and screening, have also been lifted. School boards are asking students and staff to stay home if they're ill.

• Extracurriculars, such as music, sports, clubs and field trips, will see a full return.

• Remote learning will be available to all students for the 2022-23 school year. To date, about 110 elementary kids are registered to learn virtually at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), where students can still opt into online learning before school starts. High school students can register for online courses through the board's eLearning program. At the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB), 121 elementary and 153 secondary students will learn remotely in the fall. The board will not offer a transition date.

• HWDSB is advising parents to watch for signs of anxiety and worry, and work toward establishing routines.

• Masks and rapid-antigen tests will be available to students and staff upon request.

• HEPA filters are installed in all kindergarten classes and those without mechanical ventilation. The HWDSB says it will continue to add filters in a manner that maximizes their benefit."

Hamilton's public and Catholic school boards say more information will be available soon. Classes start Sept. 6 for most students.

Students returning en mass in-person' to Hamilton post-secondary institutions

McMaster University

McMaster University officials say they encourage" the community to continue masking indoors, particularly in classrooms, libraries and other potentially crowded spaces, and that disposable face coverings will be available for free on campus.

Neither masks nor proof of vaccination will be required on campus.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely," wrote president David Farrar and provost Susan Tighe in an Aug. 24 letter.

To date, just a handful of universities - among them Wilfrid Laurier University, OCAD University and Ontario Tech University - require masks in some settings. Western University and Seneca College are also requiring that students be vaccinated.

Daily screening through MacCheck, the university's internal tool, is no longer required, but students and staff are asked to self-screen should someone they live with test positive for or have COVID symptoms.

If you are feeling unwell, stay home," the letter reads.

Mohawk College

For the first time since 2019, students will be welcomed back to Hamilton post-secondary institutions en masse in-person," Mohawk College spokesperson Bill Steinburg said in an email. Some students, he said, may never have been on a campus."

Steinburg said the college's policies remain the same as they were in the spring."

Mohawk College will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation but at present has suspended its mask and vaccine requirements," he said, adding that both are encouraged."

These requirements were suspended at Mohawk on April 18. The college continues to offer on-campus vaccine clinics for students, staff and families, but vaccination is no longer mandatory for accessing college facilities.

Students in placements and co-ops will be required to follow workplace health and safety protocol of their employer, he said.

Steinburg said students in most programs will be in physical classrooms. Hybrid learning, a mix of in-person and remote, is reserved for situations where it makes sense, such as some lecture-based learning," he said.

Redeemer University

Students and staff at Redeemer, a private Christian university in Ancaster, are preparing for a full return to campus" this year, the university said in an Aug. 24 update.

The university is strongly committed to the whole-person, relational learning model that is most fully realized by an in-person learning environment," interim academic vice-president Kyle Spyksma said in the statement. At the same time, our immediate context requires flexibility."

Remote learning will be offered for a limited number of students in most classes." Redeemer offers remote instruction through a dual-delivery format," which allows students to take the same class in either format. Some classes will be designated in-person only where remote learning cannot deliver the course material or produce the desired learning outcomes effectively."

Faculty and in-person students can also switch to remote for short periods of time" if ill or they need to isolate.

As the pandemic ebbs and flows and hopefully wanes, Redeemer is making adjustments for the short term while considering the best path forward for the long term," the statement reads.

All three post-secondary institutions say policy changes may be necessary should public health advice or government requirements shift.

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com