With Schools set to return in little more than a week, one question that has not been seeing a lot of attention is that of extra-curricular sports.

There has been no provincial consensus on student sports, with each individual school division tasked with deciding for themselves whether or not to offer extra-curricular programs in the fall.

Saskatoon, for example, has cancelled its fall high school sports program, as senior leadership in both the public and catholic school divisions weighed the risks and determined that a wait-and-see approach would be best.

Other school divisions are actively hoping to offer extra-curricular sports programs in the fall, and are working with the Saskatchewan Highschool Athletic Association to develop return-to-play plans similar to those created by other sports associations in the province.

Kyle McIntyre is the director of education for the Chinook School Division.

"The SHSAA has been working very closely with the Education response team to establish some protocols and recommendations for a return to sport. Which would include a return to training and knowledge, having bubbles of athletes, and then expanding to having smaller community bubbles or community teams. And then maybe if everyone is healthy and safe we would expand to having our own kind of southwest league in our own school division."

He added that not every school division is looking at offering extra-curricular, but he himself is supportive of getting students back to the field as soon as possible provided that it is safe to do so.

Since extra-curricular activities, especially sports, are voluntary for those involved; both the children and the teachers and support staff, there is no mandate enforcing anyone to take part. So offering it to those who wish should not, in his opinion, pose an issue.

"During COVID, the people who have probably been impacted the most are children, and in particular around children activities. So if we can offer an extra-curricular experience while keeping children and our staff, then we would like to try to do that."

The new school year begins next Tuesday.