Comox Valley: Những câu hỏi thường gặp

Our District has committed to a full opening in September, with regular classes as per normal (no online classes, in other words)  Some extracurricular activities will likely be affected-full contact sports like rugby, basketball and perhaps soccer will likely not run in the same way, but many others will (skiing/snowboarding, cross country running, track and field, golfing and volleyball)  Generally speaking, we are one of the very safest regions in all of Canada, which, as you probably know, has been a world leader in flattening the curve of the virus. We have not had an active case of COVID-19 in our small city in nearly 2 months.

Comox Valley School District – COVID-19 Q&A (updated on May 29, 2020)

1.  When will the Canadian border be open?

As of today, all travelers to Canada require an “essential reason to travel to Canada”, which limits the entry of international students.  However, the Canadian Border Service Agency updates the list of travel restrictions every 21 days.  There will be more updates on June 30^th, when Canada will review and post their update to the current travel restrictions. We are optimistic that though restrictions may be in place, that travel will be possible to Canada at that time.

2. If the border remains closed, can returning students (who have entered and studied in Canada before the pandemic) remain in their own countries to continue their study through online courses in September 2020?

As of today (May 29), the answer is no, however, as above, this will likely change in the coming days and we are optimistic in the Comox Valley that we will be able to offer online courses to our currently enrolled students if they are unable to travel to Canada because of COVID-19 related reasons.  The Ministry of Education (MOE) is in the decision-making process regarding the online delivery. So far, no district in BC has permission to open their online courses for students who are not residing in Canada.

3. If the border is open, but parents are worried and do not want their kids to travel, does CVISP offer the option of online course delivery in September 2020 for returning students?

No. If the border is open and it’s safe to travel, CVISP will not be allowed to offer the online option for students who are not residing in BC.

4. If the border remains closed, can new students (who have never entered /studied in Canada) stay in their own countries to start their study by participating in online courses in September 2020?

No. For new students who have not been in Canada yet, we will not be able to offer an online program. The main reason for this is that online courses can only be taken by students who are residing in the Province currently. As of today, there is no new policy around this. However, it might change depending on the situation and the MOE’s decision.

5. If the border is open, but parents are worried and do not want their kids to travel, does CVISP offer the option of online course delivery in September 2020 for new students?

No. Please refer to 4. If it’s safe to travel, it will be impossible for the MOE to allow the online course delivery for new students.

6. Can new students who are supposed to start in September 2020 be deferred to January 2021 or September, 2021. How much will it cost?

Yes. We can defer them to either a January or September, 2021 intake at no extra cost.

7. If families have made the payment, but choose not to join CVISP in September because the border remains closed, how much will be refunded?

Students have the option to be deferred. Or, if the current crisis does continue the fees have been paid, we would issue a full refund (minus the $350 application fee) as we consider it to be an admissibility issue, similar to a failed Study Permit or similar immigration related issue.

8. Will students be required to quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival?

Right now, there are quarantine measures in place by the government of Canada until June 30.  Everyone is hoping that at that time, measures will be more relaxed, though it is impossible to say for certain.

9. If students are required to quarantine, what are the arrangements of the district?

We are working on a plan right now and are trying to get a sense of how many of our host parents would be able to accommodate a possible 14 day isolation quarantine.  We have a transportation arrangement and we think it’s possible to accommodate our September students with a “Fit to Fly” document and protocols that allow the student to safely transition into their study abroad experience. We are working with our Provincial organization, IPSEA to have a coordinated, Province wide response to this, also. We anticipate having a full backup plan in place in the next 2-3 weeks.

10. Will there be extra costs for quarantine?

The extra costs would be minor if we can get our homestay parents to take on the extra work involved in cleaning and practicing isolation for the first two weeks of the students entering the country. We are considering a small premium (an extra $10 or so a night) for the first 2 weeks to account for the disruption to the homestay and extra cleaning/sanitizing that will result in managing a quarantine situation.