What options do students have for learning in 2022-2023?

This information is written for elementary and high school students and their parents.

The law says that every child in Ontario must attend school from when they're 6 to 18 years old. The COVID-19 pandemic does not change this law.

During the 2022-2023 school year, students have 3 options:

in-person learning, which means learning at school
remote learning, which means learning at home that's organized by their school
homeschooling, which means learning at home that's organized by their parent

You must let the school know which option you want.

Below, you'll find more information about in-person learning and remote learning.

For information on homeschooling, see What are the laws about homeschooling my child?

Rules for in-person learning in elementary school

Elementary school goes from kindergarten to Grade 8.

In-person learning means going to the school building to attend classes 5 days a week.

A full day of school includes 5 hours of learning with a teacher.

Rules for in-person learning in secondary school

Secondary or high school includes Grades 9 to 12.

In-person learning means going to the school building to attend classes 5 days a week.

A full day of school includes 5 hours of learning with a teacher.

Students do not need a vaccination to attend school in person.

Rules for remote learning

Remote learning means students attend classes online using a computer or tablet. A full day of remote learning is 5 hours of learning time.

In some special situations, remote learning can happen using the telephone or using printed materials at home. For example, a student who has a disability might find it difficult to use a computer screen.

The school board must give students all the learning materials they need. This includes laptops and tablets, and internet access.

To find out about getting a laptop, tablet, or internet access, contact your school board.

Learning time

Not all learning time is with a teacher. Of the 5 hours of learning time each day, the teacher must be live on the screen for a certain amount of time. For elementary students, this is at least:

3 hours for kindergarten
3 hours and 45 minutes for Grades 1 to 8

For high school students, the teacher must be live on the screen for:

3 hours and 45 minutes for a full course schedule
60 minutes for each 75-minute class when there's less than a full course schedule

For the rest of the 5 hours, the teacher can ask students to complete learning tasks on their own. But there has to be a way for students to contact the teacher for help.

The school must give students and parents a daily schedule or timetable.

If a student cannot stay live on the screen for the minimum time, contact the school about making other arrangements.

Special education

The law says that schools must provide appropriate programs and services for students who have “exceptionalities”.

Exceptionalities are conditions that may affect a student's ability to learn. They're sometimes called “special needs”.

Justice for Children and Youth also has many resources about the special education system.

Schools must continue to provide special education accommodations for students who choose remote learning. Parents and students need to work with teachers and school administrators to figure out the best way to do this.

In Ontario's Human Rights Code, most exceptionalities or special needs are also disabilities. This means that if a school is not properly accommodating a student's needs, you can make a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal.

The Human Rights Legal Support Centre can help you do this.

Switching between remote and in-person learning

The school board must allow students to switch between remote learning and in-person classes. But each school board can do this differently.

Some school boards may only allow students to switch at certain times during the school year.

For more information, contact your local school board.

Getting help

For help with education issues, contact Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY).