Students ‘on board’ with masks under new policy
Principals report ‘mixed adoption’ after ministry recommendation
Two Bay of Plenty students are opting to mask up in class following new Government guidance, saying their decision is a “small sacrifice for a large gain” in protecting the community.
The majority of school leaders who spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post Weekend had chosen not to make mask-wearing compulsory but instead were strongly recommending it this term.
In a newsletter sent to schools last week, the Ministry of Education recommended students in Year 4 and up wear masks for the next four weeks while indoors where it wouldn’t have a “significant impact on teaching and learning”.
Rotorua Lakes High School principal Jon Ward holds a strong belief that mask-wearing should be compulsory in the classroom.
Nothing had changed for the school since the updated advice was issued because students were already expected to wear masks unless they had a valid medical exemption, he said.
But he remained pleased with the advice, saying it meant “we are no longer out on a limb, we are part of the mainstream again”.
“We hold a really strong view that masks are our best line of defence against the transfer of Covid and other illnesses.”
Student attendance was key — particularly in Term 3 — which he described as “the powerhouse term for academics”.
He hoped masking would contribute to high attendance rates among staff and students.
Rotorua Girls’ High School principal Sarah Davis said staff were doing everything they could to encourage mask use this term.
All teachers had a large supply and had been asked to model maskwearing to students, she said.
Davis said the focus was on ensuring public health measures were in place, while also allowing students to settle into the start of term.
“We are trying to run the school along the lines of a normal.”
At Rotorua Boys’ High School, mask wearing was strongly encouraged, but principal Chris Grinter said at this stage it was a matter of personal decision. And the school was managing “relatively low” Covid numbers now.
“We are keen to avoid it becoming confrontational for staff if students are resistant.”
Asked about mask uptake among students, he said there was “mixed adoption” varying across classes and activities.
He believed the effectiveness was questionable if mask wearing was not consistent outside of school.
John Paul College principal Justin Harper said the school was strongly encouraging students and teachers to mask up in line with Government advice.
He said there was a “very high engagement rate” with students “really happy to support the wellness of other people”.
“We have all learnt from this pandemic that it’s best not to share your bugs and germs with people unnecessarily. At JPC staff and students are increasingly conscious of their own wellness.”
Meanwhile, in Tauranga, Otu¯moetai ¯ College head boy Moss Benton said the majority of students were choosing to wear masks in classes where it did not disrupt learning.
“Everyone is pretty on board with it because everyone has seen the effects of Covid. Some people can’t wear masks or don’t like to — and they don’t. But everyone sort of understands the collective responsibility.”
He said it was “a small sacrifice for a large gain” and described the
"We hold a really strong view that masks are our best line of defence against the transfer of Covid and other illnesses."
Jon Ward
school’s guidance as “responding appropriately to the situation”.
Board of trustees student representative Sandra Tiang agreed, saying students were practising “resilience and flexibility” now.
“We really understand it’s not just to protect ourselves but it’s to protect our wha¯nau and community. We don’t want to make other people sick and put other people at danger.
“It’s your moral obligation as part of our kura and community.”
This did not apply to those who had mask exemptions, she said.
The school’s principal, Russell Gordon, said direction from the ministry around mask-wearing had been sent out to the community and it was his expectation staff and students wore masks.
But staff did not have the ability to enforce mask-wearing as it had not been mandated by the ministry, leaving schools in “a no-win position”, he said.
He criticised the ministry’s choice to “strongly recommend” mask-wearing. He would have liked the guidance to be more definitive describing messaging as “frustrating”.
“The ministry can’t have it both ways — it’s either mandated or it’s not. They could have made it so much easier for schools but sadly they haven’t.”
Earlier this week Otago University
epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker told NZME he welcomed the advice, but questioned why there shouldn’t be national consistency across schools.
“Overall, I’m very positive about the move but I just wonder why we’re leaving quite a bit of discretion,” he said.
“The evidence supports the value of mask use in schools, so why should some students and their families miss out on this benefit?”
The ministry’s operations and integrations hautu¯ (leader), Sean Teddy, said all schools and kura had their own plan best meeting the needs of students and staff including the option to make masks compulsory.
“For any child or young person who is failing to comply with the school policy [and who is not exempt], schools can agree their own school policies to manage the behaviour.”
This could be done in the same way they might enforce sun hat, sunblock rules and uniform rules, he said.