Schools reopen to small numbers

This week, 40,000 students around the country stepped back into the classroom, but only a handful in Taranaki.

As New Zealand moved to Covid-19 alert level three, students up to year ten, with essential worker parents, or unable to learn at home, returned to class in ‘bubbles’ of 10.

Year 11-13 students, and those who could study from home, continued with remote learning.

Of the 284 early childhood

centres and schools in Taranaki, only 120 reopened on Wednesday and only 587 students attended, which is five per cent of the total roll, the Ministry of Education’s National Overview reported.

Sacred Heart Girls’ College principal Paula Wells said she decided to keep the school closed because nearly all of her 700 students were continuing to learn from home.

‘‘We called for alert level three enrolments, with a near to zero need identified.

‘‘The one or two families we personally spoke with decided to make alternative arrangements for their children, such as extending their bubbles.

‘‘Any students who potentially needed to come to school would have continued to engage with their digital learning programmes, supervised in our hostel, therefore would not have replicated ‘school as usual’ in any shape or form,’’ she said.

Meanwhile, Fitzroy School was averaging 16 students a day from a roll of nearly 400, principal Richard Anderson said.

‘‘We are only using the necessary staff who are available, and all other teachers are delivering remote learning from home.’’

They would continue to open every day throughout level three, even if student numbers changed.

The country’s first Green School, between New Plymouth and Oakura, had been open for less than two months when it had to shut it doors.

Head of School, Chris Edwards, said around six teachers and a handful of students had gone back to the site, which is still under construction, to learn, while the rest had been studying online.

‘‘We’ve managed to stay as true as we possibly can to the Green School ideals throughout,’’ he said.

New students who were to attend the school from the start of term two have been put on hold.

‘‘I think a few will join us in term two still, but not yet. We’re going to wait until we’re down to level two or level one.’’

‘‘... all other teachers are delivering remote learning from home.’’ Richard Anderson

Fitzroy School principal