Teachers Urged to Stay Away from Quake-Affected Buildings

Principals and Teachers Urged to Stay Away from Quake-Affected Buildings

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says school and early childhood staff must listen to Civil Defence advice and keep away from quake-affected buildings and classrooms.

All schools, kindergartens and early childhood services in Christchurch are closed until further notice.

Assessors will be moving around schools and centres in the coming week and it’s already known that many are very badly damaged.

“Some teachers and principals may be tempted to go into their schools and centres to inspect the damage for themselves, but unless they are with an assessment team they should not put themselves at risk. There are clear health and safety hazards and they should stay away until the all clear is given,” says NZEI President Ian Leckie.

It is likely to be several weeks before schools in the Christchurch area can reopen, although many schools in the Waimakariri and Selwyn districts will be reopening today.

Ian Leckie says “it’s important that when schools and centres are given the all clear, staff must ensure they are healthy and suitably strong enough, depending on their own personal situations, to go back into their schools and provide the leadership that will be required.”

NZEI also wants to alert schools around the country that children who have evacuated out of Christchurch – whether temporarily or permanently – will start enrolling in other areas.

“These children and their families will be feeling a terrible sense of displacement and many will be making decisions about their future. Schools who do enrol these students will need to do all they can to accommodate them and cater to what will be a very special set of needs,” says Mr Leckie.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this earthquake. The scale and enormity will impact on schools and students for a long time to come and teaching staff in Christchurch face profound challenges ahead. It’s up to principals, teachers and education staff around the country to support them in any way they can.”

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