Québec Minister of Education and Higher Education, Jean-François Roberge, unveiled his plan on Tuesday, June 16 for how CÉGEP’s and universities will operate once classes resume in the fall.
The Directorate General of Public Health of Québec has given a preliminary green light to this return plan, considering the overall improvement in the epidemiological situation in Québec in recent weeks.
For CÉGEP and university students, a hybrid formula combining classroom presence and distance education will be preferred. A maximum of educational activities and support services will be offered in compliance with the health instructions given by Public Health and a physical distance of 1.5 metres. The arrangement of spaces and timetables will encourage optimal attendance in classrooms.
Institutions will be asked to pay particular attention to certain categories of students, in particular those who are starting their study project, those who are disabled, or who experience anxiety.
The government is proposing common guidelines for higher education institutions to promote student retention and academic success. Flexibility will be offered to the institutions in the setting up of the means necessary to reach this objective.
Finally, all institutions will need to have an emergency protocol to be able to quickly switch to distance education in the event of a second wave. For its part, the Department of Education will maintain certain regulatory reductions in order to give maximum flexibility to the CÉGEP network for the fall semester, especially in the event of new school closings.
