The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association says it is pleased to hear that monitoring of illnesses and absences related to COVID-19 will be part of the return plan in September.

The Department of Education released details for what the return to school will look like yesterday. Essentially, students will be returning to the same conditions and protocols that were in place in June.

NLTA President Trent Langdon says that throughout the pandemic they have been encouraging people to follow the guidance of Public Health, and they will be continuing to do that in September.

They agree that in-person learning is the best option, so long as safety is prioritized, and that must be the top priority of decision makers.

They say issues such as class size and composition, crowding in classrooms and common areas, and ventilation/air quality will be important for them heading into the school year.

Langdon says those will be among the issues raised at a learning impact symposium set to be held next week.