For the first time since September of 2019 parents of students in the K-12 system will be allowed to accompany the children into the classrooms on the first day of school.

The Education Department released its plans for back to school yesterday, and all of the standard protocols that were in place in June will be returning in September.

Minister John Haggie says their priority for the year is to maintain in-person learning.

He says they are trying to minimize the risks while keeping things as normal as possible, and recognizes that being able to accompany their children on the first day is a concern for parents.

He believes access can be managed on a “local level” so long as there aren’t any major concerns about the prevalence of disease. He says there is more concern when there are higher levels of traffic in the school, but reiterates that it is about making things as normal as possible.