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The education sector is rejecting claims that it will be able to operate safely under a reduced alert level system.
On Sunday night, Peter Reynolds, executive director of the Early Childhood Council, said its members did not want to reopen Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers under Level 3 because of the threat of carrier risk.
“We need time to get it right, only below level 2 is it safe to reopen,” Reynolds said.
He wrote an open letter to the prime minister, on the eve of a decision to be made on whether the country would get out of the Level 4 Alert restrictions, saying that reopening the centers at Level 3 was an incorrect decision.
ROSS GIBLIN / THINGS
The Teaching Council has written to Minister of Education Chris Hipkins (pictured) about security concerns about the reopening of schools.
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No ECE center should under any circumstances reopen until the country is at Level 2 Alert, he wrote.
“The main reason for this added caution on the part of our members is the operator’s risk of reigniting a Covid-19 outbreak.
“Although the statistics for children are relatively lower than for all other age groups, there is nothing about them acting as carriers or published research to support this proposal,” Reynolds wrote.
POOL VISION
Education Minister Chris Hipkins details the government’s new range of distance learning tools for the new school term.
“Our parents are not stupid people, and they will point to several reported cases of children carrying and dying from Covid-19, and ask us why they are not being considered.”
The education sector needed clarity to plan and inform staff, parents, and stakeholders.
The guidelines for reopening under Level 3 were impossible to implement, and would not prevent the spread of asymptomatic children, he wrote.
“It is impossible to prevent babies with teething from putting toys in their mouths as much as it is impossible to prevent an 18-month-old from breaking his bubble on the playground.”
KEVIN STENT / STUFF
Iona Holsted, secretary of education, said it was important that educational facilities be open to those in need.
He asked that most ECE services remain closed.
The letter comes after the Teaching Council wrote to Education Minister Chris Hipkins on Friday about concerns about how the education sector could safely and practically move to Level 3.
“The health and safety of teachers, their whānau and the children and young people they teach are crucial,” said the letter from the Teaching Council.
SUPPLIED
The Ministry of Education is building resources for homeschooling during the shutdown.
“There are still some unknowns about how this will work in practice. Any plan to reopen schools must acknowledge the experience of leaders and teachers: they know their environment, community and students better than anyone else and should be part of the decision. Doing.”
Meanwhile, an online petition asking for ECE schools and centers to remain closed during Level 3 had more than 26,000 signatures on Sunday night.
Education Ministry secretary of education Iona Holsted said the ministry was working closely with the sector to make learning places safe.
“We know we are not in ordinary circumstances, and we will work with education leaders before the physical opening. All of our decisions about ‘getting ready’ will be in line with the public health advice, guidance and agreement.” Holsted said.
“Parents and caregivers, like all New Zealanders, know that we are in extraordinary times and that they will play their part in helping to keep their children at home, but it is important that schools and early learning centers are physically open to those parents. they need them. ” “
