Return to school puts M¯aori ‘at greater risk’

An Auckland high school principal says her school will respond to what its students need rather than what Covid-19 announcements direct, following the Government’s green light for senior students to return to school next week.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced on Wednesday that students in years 11, 12 and 13 would return to school on Tuesday, October 26.

Hipkins cited the need to bring students back to prepare for their end-of-year exams. ‘‘We want to get our young people back into the classroom as soon as we can, but we also want to keep them and the wider community safe.’’

To do this, he said, students were to socially distance and wear masks, kaimahi (staff) were to return negative Covid-19 tests and enforce restrictions, and classes were to be ventilated and cleaned.

But Haley Milne, the tumuaki (principal) of South Auckland’s Kia Aroha College and the vicepresident of Te Akatea – the New Zealand Ma¯ ori Principals’ Association, said wha¯nau from her school were scared to return and she doesn’t blame them.

Between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of Auckland’s daily locations of interest were within a 5-kilometre radius of the school.

‘‘It’s all very well and good to be making decisions from Wellington.

But we’ve had emails from wha¯ nau in the last hour who are worried about whether or not their kids should come back. The [Government’s] response has very much been focused on different communities, and whatever community that is, it’s not ours.’’

Some students were unable to return to school as they needed to look after their younger siblings while their parents went to work during the day, Milne said.

Te Akatea president Bruce Jepsen said Hipkins’ announcement caught him by surprise, and if his children were in South Auckland schools, they wouldn’t be returning next week.

Given the low vaccination rates of Ma¯ ori and the increasing number of Covid cases in Ta¯ maki Makaurau, the Government had made the wrong call, he said.

‘‘You’d be playing roulette with your hauora [health] to sit an exam ... They’re saying it’s low risk coming to school. That’s not [the case for] Ma¯ ori.’’

Jepsen questioned if Auckland and Waikato seniors would be returning to school if the wider population’s vaccination rates were on par with Ma¯ ori.

‘‘The decisions made by our Government have marginalised us and put us at greater risk when we’re at risk right now.’’

Kia Aroha College was preparing for students who wanted to return, but as of 4pm on Wednesday, only three students had indicated they would be back.