Challenges for schools
For lower decile education, the time of Covid-19 has been challenging.
For Rutherford Junior High School, with 75 per cent of their students with no internet access, on-line learning has been easier said than done.
When the Prime Minister announced that New Zealand would be in lockdown within 48 hours, principal Diane Henare and her staff were watching on the television in the boardroom.
“The next day all the staff came in and we made education packs that we sent out,” says Diane.
“Just something to support our families.”
The next day, only Diane, her office manager Jodie O’Leary and board chairman Piripi Blake attended school and prepared everything for lockdown.
After that, during alert level 4, the only people allowed on site were emergency services if required.
The Ministry of Education brought the school holidays forward by two weeks, and a directive from the Secretary of Education, Iona Holsted, said schools had to be ready for online learning by April 15.
Before that could happen, Diane said the school had to present data to the Ministry which would then compile educational hardpacks — mostly stationery and books — and send them direct to families without internet access or devices.
“You had a choice of English or Ma¯ ori medium hardpacks,” says Diane.
She said she could also order electronic devices through the ministry, but that meant providing street addresses for school families. That presented its own set of problems, in that many addresses on file are not valid for a number of reasons, some of them being family safety.
“What the ministry required of us did not match a decile one community.”
Lockdown also meant that many addresses were unoccupied while people moved to stay with other family members to create large bubbles.
“We did a lot of texting, ringing, social media and I compiled the data for the ministry.”
Information included correct addresses and student needs.
“I got that to them by April 14. Last Thursday [May 7] we rang 187 parents and spoke to 133. Of those, 98 said they still didn’t have any packs, either Ma¯ ori or English medium.”
Diane says this has highlighted the gap between those who have and those who have not.
“Those who do not have access to internet are largely the
ones who still don’t have packs.”
Last week, a week before the country possibly goes into Level 2 and schools return, 66 devices arrived.
Diane also had to call her staff back to help prepare for online learning.
“Over the two weeks of school holidays, we set up the platform. The staff worked day and night really hard to get that set up, so when we started school on April 15, they were ready to go.”
At the same time, Diane says she had to accept that while some were learning online, a large part of the school community had nothing. Those with access did well online, enjoying the new way of learning.
Throughout this time, teachers and support staff have engaged in pastoral care, ringing around to see how parents and children are coping. Every interaction was documented.
Once in level 3, staff would drive to addresses, sit in their cars and talk to families from a safe distance.
At level 3, children of essential workers were allowed to attend school. In the case of Rutherford, that meant finding activities for seven students.
“They’re supervised in their bubble and they’re doing the online programme, but with the support of the teachers who are here and touching base with the teachers working from home.”
Last week the children had a fish and chip lunch which they used as a maths exercise as well as a treat. On Monday they had a funky hair day and last Friday the girls taught the staff a Tik Tok dance.
“We still have a bubble assembly and we start with a karakia and sing the National Anthem. The minute the site was reopened, we had to employ extra cleaners and keep our surfaces spotless, no matter where,” says Diane.
With alert level 2 possibly imminent, the school could reopen next week and teachers, support staff and students will be challenged by circumstances and what did and did not happen during the previous two levels.