It’s good that the Ministry of Education has seen sense and allowed Auckland schools to open at their discretion from tomorrow, National’s Education spokesperson Erica Stanford says.

“The communication about whether Auckland schools are open or closed this week has been a mess.

“National has been consistent that schools should have the discretion to decide for themselves whether to open or close. It’s good that the Ministry of Education has now echoed this message.

“Auckland is a large city, and many areas are largely unaffected by the devastating flooding we have seen in other parts of the city. Local schools, which understand their own infrastructure and communities, are best placed to make these decisions.

“Unfortunately for many schools, the Government’s shambolic communications over the past few days mean that schools were preparing to be closed all week, and it is now too complicated for many to open tomorrow.

“Covid lockdowns have immensely impacted kids in Auckland, and many are well behind in their learning as a result. Provided it is safe, it should be our utmost priority to ensure that kids are in school so that learning can continue uninterrupted.

“Last year, a report showed that only a third of students could do the basic requirements needed to pass NCEA, with just 2 per cent of students in decile 1 schools able to pass a basic literacy test.

“Additionally, just 40 per cent of students attended school regularly in Term 2 of 2022.

“Given that attendance is one of the most important indicators of student achievement, it is imperative that we get our kids back in the classroom.”

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