Please attribute the below to Liam Rutherford, President of NZEI Te Riu Roa:

"The Government's decision to close schools and early learning centres is a strong, decisive and necessary move in the fight to flatten the curve of Covid-19.

”Schools and early learning centres will be closed except for children of essential service workers on Tuesday and Wednesday, before being closed completely from Wednesday night.

"The decision will be a real relief to those working in schools and ECE centres who have become more anxious as the threat of Covid-19 has grown.

"Key to the Government's announcement was the assurance that all schools and ECE centres will continue to be funded as normal. We're talking with the Ministry of Education to make sure this means everyone working in education can continue to be paid as normal while they are forced to stay home."

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