BRITISH COLUMBIA STUDENTS "TORN" ABOUT RETURN TO IN-PERSON CLASSES AMIDST OMICRON WAVE

Chandrayee Roy Choudhury, Canada:

Two B.C. universities' planned return to in-person classes on Monday has prompted COVID-19 worries for many students.

Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria will return to in-person learning next week.

Now, in a letter to the province opposing the in-class learning recommendations — signed by 10 student associations representing more than 100,000 students in B.C. — the students are demanding stricter health guidelines and an option for online-learning.

The alliance's letter to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Anne Kang, B.C.'s Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training, has gained widespread support from other students across the province.

The decision to resume classes on campus has been guided by health authorities' advice, according to a University of Victoria's spokesperson in a statement. 

The school's COVID protocols are "evidence-based, student-focused and centred on the safety and well being of our entire campus community," the statement read.