Minister of Education Kelvin Goertzen met with Provincial education ministers from across the country via teleconference to discuss the implications of COVID-19 for students across Canada.

“We want to ensure everyone is safe and well taken care of,” Goertzen says.

Goertzen says chief discussion points included how to implement social distancing in schools and what to do with already-planned school trips. The ministers used the conference to shared their various approaches and bounce ideas off of one another. Similar conversations, he says, are taking place on an international level as well.

“When you are dealing with something like what is now officially a pandemic, information between officials is critical,” he stresses. “In a time of uncertainty, it is always beneficial to have communication.”

Ultimately, Goertzen says all recommendations are coming first from medical authorities and then from the government to the public.

The minister will be meeting with Manitoba’s many superintendents over the next few days to discuss the matter more intimately.