Coronavirus: Schools in Toronto, Peel and York Regions last for return to in-person learning All students in Ontario began January with online learning as part of a provincial lockdown.The province then took a staggered approach to reopening schools, allowing those in northern Ontario and rural areas to resume in-person learning first.Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the government is taking a number of steps to enhance safety in schools, such as more stringent screening for high schoolers and asymptomatic testing across the province..