Hutterite colony schools continue in-person learning

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

While most students in Alberta have returned to at-home learning for three weeks, those at Hutterite colony schools continue to learn in person.

Kindergarten through Grade 12 students have moved to at-home learning until at least May 25. However, exemptions to this shift are allowed by Alberta Education, explained Nicole Sparrow, education press secretary.

Hutterite colony schools are one setting where such exemption is required, explained Bevan Daverne, Golden Hills School Division (GHSD) superintendent. He said the exemption is required because these communities lack the technology and equipment for online learning.

“How are those kids going to learn if there’s no teacher?” he said.

GHSD operates 17 such colony schools, including several in Wheatland County. All these schools are still operating in-person learning.

However, should a COVID case arise at one of these schools, they will immediately move to online learning, said Daverne.

“If there is a case, it’s an automatic, total school isolation,” he said. “We’ve had a number of interruptions earlier in the year on many colonies, so their instructional days have been lower than many of our schools.”

On average, about 100 Hutterites live on an individual colony. While these people live and work in close contact, Daverne said that from a numbers standpoint, there is a lower risk of contracting COVID than in regular schools in Strathmore. This is because there is a smaller group of people interacting in the colonies than the thousands of people representing the social, educational and professional network associated with larger schools.

Staff and students continue to follow COVID protocols at each colony school. Just as the school division is concerned with teachers being exposed to the virus from students, they are also concerned with students being exposed by teachers, said Daverne.

On May 3, the province announced all teachers and school support and administrative staff are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. This week, all Albertans over the age of 12 are also now eligible. “This will add another layer of protection in schools and we encourage everyone to sign up for their vaccine as soon as possible,” said Sparrow.