Online school for Grades K-8 in Manitoba will come to an end this school year

The Manitoba Resource Learning Support Centre will be shutting its virtual doors at the end of this school year, leaving many families scrambling to find suitable options.

The online school was launched in partnership with the St. James-Assiniboia School Division in January 2021 during the height of the pandemic to support students and families by providing a remote learning option for Grades K-8.

For Shoshana Kraut, whose family is COVID vulnerable, the school meant she didn't face the pressure of once again homeschoolingher son, Simon, who enrolled in the school in Grade 3in September of2022.

"I was horrifiedand shocked, overwhelmed,"Kraut said afterfinding out the school was closing. "I was stunned."

Kraut says her son was really thriving in the school, and she was looking forward to enrolling her daughter in itskindergarten class.

"It's really just like any other public school, it's just that it's online rather than in person," Kraut said. "The staff are just amazing, they're very caring.

"They do an amazing job and I'm really grateful that it's an option that's available to me and my family."

Before enrolling at the HRLSC, Kraut was homeschooling her son.

"There's a huge time commitment to homeschool everything from preparing the materialsto reviewing the curriculum," Kraut said. "I'm not a teacher that's not my area of expertise, so there's also a lot of preparation and learning on my part so that I can homeschool."

Principal promises smooth transition

In a letter to parents sent earlier this month, principal Andrew Mead wrote that "MRLSC staff will be working closely with families and schools to ensure that students have a smooth transition back to their resident school for the fall of 2023."

According to the province, enrolment in the Manitoba Remote Learning Support Centre has decreased by 85 per cent since 2021.

In the 2020/2021 school year, there 1,050 students were enrolled. By October 2022, that number had dropped to 162 students.

"Public health and mental health experts agree that all students benefit from improved outcomes with in-person learning. This is particularly true for younger students," said a spokesperson with the province.

"The remote learning centre was never intended to be a permanent fixture."

For students moving into Grade 9, there will be a new provincial online high school that is on track to launch in September 2023.