Waive/Reduce BC Hydro Bills; Zoom for K-12; Minister of State for Child Care Is Here to Help
With over 1,000 people confirmed with COVID-19 in BC, on March 31, 2020, Premier John Horgan has announced that, the B.C. government formally extended the provincial state of emergency to April 14, 2020 （for more details, check:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/n4HUqSEKJbw;
BC Government facebook 網頁：https://www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/；
省長賀謹的twitter 帳戶 : @jjhorgan).
(Originally posted on April 1, 2020)
On April 1, Premier Horgan at Victoria, together with Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources at Vancouver, announced the Government of British Columbia and BC Hydro are going to help people, small businesses and industries most impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by Waiving and/or Reducing their BC Hydro Bills.
BC Educators will have an easy-to-use video-conferencing and collaboration platform to communicate remotely with their students while in-class learning is suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Ministry of Education has secured and funded licences for the application Zoom for all K-12 public and independent schools in B.C. This will allow consistent access for educators who choose to use it, giving them more ways to communicate with students and parents.
Continued learning will vary for each school depending on the needs of students. Some options include online learning tools and/or resource packages or assignments emailed or mailed from teachers to parents. For educators who choose to offer online learning, Zoom gives them a common, consistent platform to communicate and share lessons with their students.
To ensure safety and privacy for students, the licensing agreement complies with B.C.’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. School technology administrators can control permissions and privileges, while disabling features that are unnecessary or inappropriate. Students will be given a unique website address, so they can access their virtual classroom without needing an individual account. The Zoom server will be based in Canada, with added encryption so it is a safe platform to learn.
Educators will receive access to Zoom through their school districts this month, along with simple instructions about how to use the software.
While teachers and schools will have primary responsibility for continuous learning, government also launched Keep Learning BC on March 27, 2020: www.openschool.bc.ca/keeplearning
This is a central place where families can find ideas for everyday educational activities, links to free learning resources, as well as how to help children learn and how to ensure their well-being while they are at home. The websites will be updated on a regular basis with new materials. As of March 31, 2020, more than 136,000 visitors have accessed the Keep Learning BC website – an average of 33,786 a day.
Since there are many students who will have challenges working online, schools have also been directed to look at alternative approaches for continued learning that will fit with the individual needs and circumstances of their communities. Some school districts may also loan computer equipment or devices to support students while they learn from home.
Quick Fact:
A new ministerial order under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act enables the broader use of communications tools during the pandemic.
Learn More:
Accurate, timely information about schools, programs and educational services, including regularly updated frequently asked questions in multiple languages, is available at: www.gov.bc.ca/SafeSchools/.
（附中文简体）
卑诗省紧急状态
Zoom学习协作工具启用
儿童厅长悉心为K-12 年级孩子提供帮助
卑诗省累计新冠病毒感染总人数过千，卑诗省长贺谨（John Horgan）2020年3月31日傍晚向省民发表电视讲话，宣布将本省紧急状态延长两周至4月14日。
省能源、矿业及石油资源厅长赖赐淳(Bruce Ralston)于4月1日下午在温哥华，与省长贺谨在维多利亚同步宣布疫情期间电费减免。
卑诗省教育厅2020年4月1日宣布，省教育工作者将拥有一个易于使用的视频会议和协作平台，让他们能在因为防止新型冠状病毒（COVID-19）的传播而需要暂停课堂学习期间，与学生进行远距离交流。
省教育厅已为卑诗省所有K-12公立及私立学校申请并取得了获资助的Zoom使用权。这将为选择使用此平台的教育工作者提供共同的使用权限，从而为他们提供更多与学生、家长进行沟通的渠道。
每所学校可根据学生的需要，提供适当的持续学习机会，其中的一些选项包括网上学习工具、资源包、或由教师将作业以电子邮件发送、或以邮寄方式寄给家长。对于选择提供网上学习的教育工作者，Zoom为他们提供了一个通用﹑一致的平台，便于他们与学生交流及分享课程。
为保障学生的安全与私隐，该许可协议符合卑诗省的《资讯自由及私隐保护法》（FOIPPA），学校技术管理员能控制权限及特权，同时禁用不必要、或不合适的功能。Zoom会为学生提供一个特定的网址，让学生毋需使用个人帐户即可登入虚拟教室。加拿大给相关的Zoom伺服器增设了加密功能，是一个安全的学习平台。
教育工作者将于本月通过其所属教育局获得使用Zoom的权限，以及有关如何使用该软件的简要说明。
虽然教师和学校将肩负继续学习的主要责任，但卑诗省政府亦已于2020年3月27日启动了卑诗持续学习计划(Keep Learning BC) www.openschool.bc.ca/keeplearning。在这个集中资源的平台上，各个家庭可找到日常教育活动的建议，并连结到免费学习资源、如何帮助子女学习，以及如何确保他们在家中的身心健康。网站将定期加入新资源及进行及时更新。截至2020年3月31日，已有超过136,693人使用卑诗持续学习计划网站，即平均每天有168,949人。
由于有许多学生在网上学习时会遇到挑战，因此学校已获允许，寻找适合个别学生需求及其所在社区情况的持续学习的其他替代方法。部分校区或能安排借用电脑或其他设备，以支援学生在家中学习。
其他资讯：
按照《资讯自由及私隐保护法》（FOIPPA）发出的新厅长级命令，确保在疫情大流行期间，可更广泛地使用通讯工具。
了解更多：
有关学校、课程和教育服务的最新及准确资讯，包括备有多种语言及定期更新的常见问题，可浏览www.gov.bc.ca/SafeSchools/；
联系卑诗省政府：www.gov.bc.ca/connect。
（附中文繁体）
卑詩省緊急狀態 Zoom學習協作工具啟用 兒童廳長悉心為K-12 年級孩子提供幫助
省能源、礦業及石油資源廳長賴賜淳(Bruce Ralston)於4月1日下午在溫哥華，與省長賀謹在維多利亞同步宣布疫情期間電費減免。
卑诗省教育廳2020年4月1日宣布，省教育工作者將擁有一個易於使用的視頻會議和協作平台，讓他們能在因為防止新型冠狀病毒（COVID-19）的傳播而需要暫停課堂學習期間，與學生進行遙距交流。
省教育廳已為卑詩省所有K-12公立及私立學校，申請並取得獲資助的Zoom使用權。這將為選擇使用此平台的教育工作者提供一致的使用權限，從而為他們提供了更多與學生和家長進行溝通的渠道。
每所學校可根據學生的需要，提供適切的持續學習機會，其中的一些選項包括網上學習工具和/或資源包或由教師將作業以電子郵件發送或以郵寄方式寄給家長。對於選擇提供網上學習的教育工作者，Zoom為他們提供了一個通用﹑一致的平台，便利他們與學生交流及分享課程。
為保障學生的安全與私隱，該許可協議符合卑詩省的《資訊自由及私隱保護法》（FOIPPA）。學校技術管理員能控制權限及特權，同時禁用不必要或不合適的功能。Zoom會為學生提供一個特定的網址，讓學生毋需使用個人帳戶即可登入虛擬教室。相關的Zoom伺服器將設於加拿大，並增設了加密功能，是一個安全的學習平台。
教育工作者將於本月透過其所屬教育局獲得使用Zoom的權限，以及有關如何使用該軟件的簡要說明。
雖然教師和學校將肩負繼續學習的主要責任，但卑詩省政府亦已於2020年3月27日啟動了卑詩持續學習計劃(Keep Learning BC) www.openschool.bc.ca/keeplearning。在這個集中資源的平台上，各家庭可找到日常教育活動的建議，並連結到免費學習資源，以及如何幫助子女學習，以及如何確保他們在家中的身心健康。網站將定期加入新資源及進行更新。截至2020年3月31日，已有超過136,693人使用卑詩持續學習計劃網站，即平均每天有168,949人。
由於有許多學生在網上學習時會遇到挑戰，因此學校已獲給予指示，尋找適合個別學生需求及其所在社區情況的持續學習的其他替代方法。部分校區或能安排借用電腦或其他設備，以支援學生在家中學習。
其他資訊：
一項按照《資訊自由及私隱保護法》（FOIPPA）發出的新廳長級命令，確保在疫情大流行期間，可更廣泛地使用通訊工具。
了解更多：
有關學校、課程和教育服務的最新及準確資訊，包括備有多種語言及定期更新的常見問題，可瀏覽www.gov.bc.ca/SafeSchools/
聯繫卑詩省政府：www.gov.bc.ca/connect。
Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care, is here to help...儿童厅陈苇蓁厅长悉心为K-12 年级孩子提供帮助。
- Child Care Prioritized for Essential Service Workers;
- K-12 learning is suspended in all classrooms;
- B.C. student loan payments are frozen for six months until September 30, 2020;
- The BC Emergency Benefit for Workers provides a one-time $1,000 payment for people who lost income;
- Employers must excuse workers for sickness without requiring a doctor’s note;
- Taking unpaid, job-protected leave due to COVID-19;
- Support for renters and landlords include a new temporary rental supplement, halting evictions and freezing rents;
- BC Hydro customers can defer payments or access grants to help pay their hydro bills;
- Translink fares and passes are not required.
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For more information:
www.wsisc.com;
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