High school students across the province return to in-class instruction today, through a blended model designed to help students adhere to COVID restrictions.

Students will attend school on alternate days to reduce the number of students in class at any given time.

Education Minister Tom Osborne says it was the best scenario possible to ensure the safety of students and staff and to address the academic, social and psychological concerns raised through the online learning process.

Some students thrived in the online learning environment while others struggled. Osborne says increased absenteeism was noticed, as were students who were logging in but who were simply not present, either because they were distracted or tuned out.

The CEO of the English School District, Tony Stack, says a lot of the regulations in place are similar to those being used in the younger grades.

Some 13-14,000 students will be returning to class as a result.