Most students will be back in classrooms starting September 8.

"The best place for students is in class, giving them the full benefits of the tremendous work of Manitoba teachers and providing parents and caregivers with certainty that their children are receiving the best education possible," Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen says.

He notes there will be specific guidelines in place to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

All students from K-8 will have in-class instruction, five days a week.

High school students will be in class full time except where facilities lack the space for physical distancing. In that case the province says there will be some days of remote learning.

Students will not be required to wear masks, but schools will ensure students are two metres apart as much as possible.

Lunch and recess breaks will also be staggered to minimize congestion.

Busses will be running at reduced capacity, and parents asked to transport their children if possible.

Officials say three response levels have been developed to ensure that school divisions and schools are prepared to roll back from in-class learning based on public health advice. Divisions must ensure that all students learning remotely have access to technology.

"Manitoba Education and Public Health are working with divisions and individual schools to ensure that as many students as possible return to classroom learning full-time," Goertzen says. "Divisions have been working diligently this summer on their individual plans for September, and are refining details for communication, screening, hand hygiene, physical distancing, the use of cohorts and outbreak management to be followed at every one of their schools."

A total of $48 million in savings is available to ensure that schools are COVID-ready in September, Goertzen notes, adding the province is monitoring resource implications closely as part of its planning to ensure the safe return to classroom instruction in the upcoming school year.

"The need for child care is top of mind. The departments of Education and Families are working with school divisions and the child-care sector to ensure that families can continue to access child care within schools," Goertzen says. "Both departments are working together to develop learning guidelines for children with special needs, as well as students at risk."