Photo: BC gov. flickr

Education Minister Rob Fleming

The first day of classes for B.C. students will be Thursday, Sept. 10, two days later than originally planned.

On Wednesday, the B.C. government announced staff will return to schools on Sept. 8 to get familiar with updated guidelines and adjust to the new routines under COVID-19. Students will be back in class two days later.

The slight change in the starting date comes after Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Tuesday that B.C. schools' starting dates would not occur on Sept. 8 as originally planned. The delay comes following concerns from parents and staff over the safety measures in place going into the new school year.

"Schools are going to look different in September," Fleming said in a press release Wednesday. "Staff, students and parents need time to get familiar with all the new health and safety procedures that are designed to keep them safe and confident in their school settings."

The province says the first week of schools' reopening will be a gradual process.

On Sept. 10, students will get familiar with how the new classroom setups looks, while they are assigned to their classes, learn who else is in their “learning group,” practice their new routines and familiarize themselves with new safety protocols.

By Aug. 17, the province's K-12 education restart steering committee will be providing school districts with “detailed operational guidelines.”