Ontario education minister to make announcement as families await decision on March Break

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce is set to make an announcement Thursday afternoon as families in the province await news on whether schools will go ahead with March Break this year.

Lecce is scheduled to hold a news conference beginning at 2 p.m. ET at Queen’s Park. His office says that Health Minister Christine Elliott and Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical  officer of health, will also be attendance.

You’ll be able to watch it live in this story.

Lecce recently hinted that he would soon provide more information about the government’s plan for March Break, which this year is set for March 15th to 19th.

Some have speculated whether the annual week off would be cancelled to allow students to catch up on instruction that may have been missed during a turbulent school year. 

Students in Ontario have been gradually returning to schools for in-person classes over the last several weeks.The last cohort from regions hardest-hit by COVID-19 — Toronto, Peel and York — are slated to head back to school on Feb. 15.

Lecce has said that any decision about March Break would be guided by medical advice from public health experts.

Earlier this week, the Ontario NDP called on the government to move ahead with the break as planned, saying that both students and educators are burned out from the stresses of online learning and navigating health protocols amid the pandemic.