Planning for a pandemic
Waikato schools could run virtual lessons for students from their homes if forced to close over Coronavirus.
Some have been in contact with schools in China and Japan on how they are operating after being forced to shut due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Although the likelihood of a community outbreak remains low, schools across the region have been discussing safeguards and plans if ‘‘worst came to worst’’. As of March 9, there have been 109,577 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and 3809 deaths, worldwide.
The vast majority of cases (80,904) and deaths (3123) have been in China. Korea (7382), Italy (7375) and Iran (6566) have also recorded a high number of cases with 51, 366 and 194 deaths respectively.
As of yesterday, New Zealand had five confirmed cases and no deaths from the virus. However, St Paul’s Collegiate began putting together a pandemic plan and could potentially train teachers to operate online classrooms.
The school last week confirmed a housemaster was in self-isolation after hosting visitors who were on a flight with a passenger infected with Coronavirus.
The school had sought advice from schools in Japan and Hong Kong that have been closed since February on what the best practice would be when faced with the situation, Principal Grant Lander said.
‘‘If a pandemic were to occur, St Paul’s Collegiate School would move to a distance learning platform.’’
‘‘The school is well advanced in the planning phase of this. However, we will only activate these steps should we be required to by the government or health authorities directions.’’
At Cambridge East School, Principal Hamish Fenemor said pupils had received videos and letters from its sister school in Wuhan China – the epicentre of the outbreak. That school was in ‘‘lock-down’’ with pupils using apps and video chat to undertake lessons from home.
‘‘We have videos posted through of teachers doing PE lessons in their lounge at home.’’
Some of the Chinese pupil’s home learning tasks has been to write to Cambridge pupils about their experiences.
‘‘I’ve been blown away by the response. They talk about battling and beating the virus, and looking forward to things getting back to normal. We’ll look at what the opportunities are there to take away and what could we put in place, but that’s a lot further down the track.’’
At present schools are taking steps on how they would tackle influenza or measles by using hand sanitisers and teaching children good hand washing.
Home learning packs have been given to students in self-quarantine who have recently travelled back from high risk areas.
‘‘The Ministry of Education have been very good in sharing pandemic plans with us and asking schools to be on that front foot to ensure protocols. We’re in the age of technology so there’s ways to get work to students if we got to that point.’’
Figures show infection rates for under-18s are less than 2.4 per cent of those who have contracted the virus.
Hillcrest High School Principal Kelvin Whiting said the school was taking daily advice directly from the Ministry of Health via the Ministry of Education.
‘‘There’s no issues at the moment for us in terms of the Coronavirus.’’
It was liaising with School Sport NZ on safety measures around upcoming large sporting events. The Maadi Cup was still going ahead and a team from the school was still intended to compete at the World Futsal Championships in Paris in June.
A pandemic plan for schools was developed during the SARS outbreak, he said, and that could be utilised if worst came to worst. During that outbreak Hillcrest High School was touted as being a main centre for medical and community needs due to its facilities.
‘‘All of the direction comes from the Ministry of Health but it would have to be severe to get to that stage unless you get an outbreak in that school.’’