Early childhood centres, schools, principals and tertiary institutions are all had their say at today's Epidemic Response Committee meeting.
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'We need to stop playing Russian roulette with our children'
Early Childhood Council chief executive Peter Reynolds wants there to be an open conversation about carrier transmission in New Zealand.
"We need to stop playing Russian roulette with our children," he told the Committee.
Parents are seeing media from overseas sources about carrier transmission and are asking for information about how this relates to them, he said.
"Parents are seeing this in the newspaper, staff are seeing this in the newspaper and it's causing concern because they're not seeing it in the government briefing."
It takes time for parents to trust centres as a safe place for their children, 70 percent of members were anxious about their centre opening, he said.
As a result, the childcare systems are taking a financial hit.
Because some parents are being tested for Covid-19 but have sent their children to centres, staff are finding it unnerving and some are choosing to stay home, he said.
"We have open doors while a silent and deadly disease is out there."
He said the ministry needs to provide clear practical guidance, not more homework.
Concern for at-risk primary students
The president of the Principals' Federation, Perry Rush, said while it anticipated a 10-15 percent student return rate, it saw a 1 percent return rate in reality.
"Can we hold the workforce with the number of students returning? That's a really significant concern."
He is concerned for remedial students and those who are at-risk, who may be in situations of family violence or who may be disconnected at school normally because of chaotic lives, he said.
Remote learning continues to put these children at some risk, he said.
He sung praises of the government.
"Of course there are times when we would like them to move quicker."
Principals have demonstrated a commitment to shoulder the challenge and recognise the economy needs a helping hand, he said.
"It's important for schools to be at the heart of their communities at this time."
'It's been a shambles'
Auckland Grammar headmaster Tim O'Connor was far from impressed with the government's response.
O'Connor said his school only found out about the lockdown with the rest of the country.
He said schools were only provided guidelines at 5.40pm the night the lockdown was announced and it's then when they found out school term times had also been shifted.
A national pandemic plan for education should have already been in place before the Covid-19 crisis, he said.
He believes there should have been nationwide access to a learning development system, support for older students who cannot attend in level 3, professional development and distribution of clear policy on the pandemic.
Education was synonymous with childcare when moving from level 4 to level 3, O'Connor said.
When asked by National's Nikki Kaye whether schools should have opened at level 3, he gave a blunt "no" reply.
Disadvantaged communities will wear this the most, he said.
"Students I'm most concerned about are good, average students."
Tools to address community Covid-19 racism needed
Tauranga's Oropi School principal Andrew King told the committee he wants to see decile eradication in favour of an equity index.
He took the opportunity to speak out against racism emerging in the education sector and in communities related to Covid-19.
Schools need tools to address this, he said.
His school will focus on wellbeing and Hauora in level 2, he said.
He wanted to reassure parents that there's no such thing as a perfect parent and there's not one way to teach your children at home.
As a traditionally affluent community, he said there is now an immediate need for social support.
He said he would feel uncomfortable to ask parents for school donations next year despite saying his 2021 operations grant may have to be budgeted at $100,000 less.
International students at his school provide about a $100,000 income, though there is also additional operational costs for this, he said.
University students expected to borrow to live
Victoria University vice-chancellor Grant Guilford told the committee students are expected to borrow to live and the government could help them out by creating a hardship fund.
"We do understand the hardship that students are facing."
He said he supports the idea of a universal student income.
He told the committee university revenue has decreased severely on all fronts.
Victoria University has experienced a loss between $30-40 million will be become significantly worse results in the following two years if borders remain closed.
