Educators says school closures ‘sensible’

Leading Southland educators say the Government has made a sensible decision to close all schools and they have been planning for it to happen.

Southland primary principals association chairwoman Wendy Ryan, also the principal of Ascot Community School in Invercargill, said just 149 of her school’s 274 students had arrived at class yesterday, before the announcement of school closures was made.

A large number of parents had already chosen to keep their children away, she said.

She supported the Government decision to close the schools, saying it was the sensible thing to do given the risk of coronavirus to the community.

‘‘It was always going to happen, it was a matter of when.’’

Parents had begun picking up their children from Ascot Community School just minutes after the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced all schools were to be fully closed with 48 hours, she said.

Many schools had been planning for the fact schools would be closed and children would be given resources so they could learn at home, she said.

Verdon College principal Jarlath Kelly also said it was a sensible decision to close the schools given the changing nature of the situation across New Zealand.

It was a good precaution to ensure the community, particularly the elderly and more vulnerable, were protected from community spread, he said.

Schools would now accelerate plans to ensure students continued to learn while they were at home, he said.

‘‘Most schools [were already] well into planning for that eventuality and will be providing a range of solutions that suit their school community capabilities.’’

There were many things to consider as to how schools would support students learning at home, he said.

He urged parents to be patient.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced yesterday that only the children of essential workers would attend school today, before schools closed for all tomorrow.

The education ministry was working hard to ensure students could distance learn, but many children would have limited access to the internet.

The school holidays would be brought forward to be captured by the four week lock down period, he said.