Regina, Saskatoon high schools reducing in-person instruction to fight COVID-19

High schools in Regina and Saskatoon are making changes so students will spend more time online at home and less in the classroom.

That's in response to higher COVID-19 numbers and new restrictions the province introduced Friday.

Under the provincial guidelines, Saskatchewan high schools with at least 600 students are advised to moveto Level 3of the province's Safe Schools Plan.

That level reduces the amount of in-class learning.

The new measures will be in place for 28 days, or four weeks, and will then be reviewed, the province says.

In Saskatoon, both the public and the Catholic school divisions will move next week to a so-called hybrid system.

That's where some students are in class half the time, while others learnat home and then they switch.

The Regina Catholic School Divisionis making the same change on Nov. 19.

Meanwhile Regina Public Schoolshasalready made the switch to a mix of in-class and at-home instruction for all its high schools.

Schools say they will send out details to the families.