Message from the Secretary for Education

Kia ora koutou

Kia kaha Tamaki Makaurau! You are taking the heat for the country. I know there will a growing level of frustration with the reversion to Alert Level 3 (and Alert Level 2). This is a leadership moment; it is so important to celebrate those who are doing the right thing. It is also an opportunity to stress the importance of inclusion and kindness.

We are providing information to help you with the changes in alert levels but if you have questions that aren’t being answered, or you just want to confirm your thinking, please get in touch - our people in Auckland are all available, working remotely.

Ngā manaakitanga 
Iona

In today’s Bulletin:

• Services (other than playcentres and playgroups) remain physically open for some children at Alert Level 3
• Alert Level 2 – Staff and children returning from Auckland
• Charging parent fees at Alert Level 3
• Essential links for quick reference

Services (other than playcentres and playgroups) remain physically open for some children at Alert Level 3

As noted in yesterday’s bulletin, all services must be physically open for any child who can’t be supervised at home by an appropriate person. In Alert Level 3 there is no restricted category of those who can leave home to go to work as is the case in Level 4 when only essential workers can work outside the home. 

This means that there will be more parents who cannot work from home and who must go to their place of work than is the case under Alert Level 4.

It is the parent’s judgement as to whether or not their child needs to be physically at early learning, generally because the parent has to go to work and/or the child is not safe at home. Every service must accept those children and ensure they are supervised on site.

Note that this excludes playcentres and playgroups, which must be closed.

Alert Level 2 – Staff and children returning from Auckland

There is no requirement for staff and children to go into self-isolation if they have recently returned from Auckland. At Alert Level 2 all services are open and everyone should be attending. The exceptions are anyone who is:

• Unwell
• Self-isolating (at the request of health authorities)
• Waiting for COVID test results (but only if advised by health authorities that they can’t return until the test result comes back).

Unless recent visitors to Auckland have been at contact tracing locations of interest at the times specified, or meet one of the above criteria, they are able to attend their service.

Charging parent fees at Alert Level 3

During these uncertain times, we suggest that you have an open conversation with your parents and continue to review your parent fee policies - especially for children who are enrolled but are not able to attend your service in person.  

Essential links for quick reference

Ministry of Health

• Current locations of interest
• Travel within New Zealand
• Alert Level boundaries map
• COVID-19 self-isolation
• Assessment and testing for COVID-19
• COVID-19 Information in other languages
• COVID-19 Mental health and wellbeing resources
• Rules for social gatherings at Alert Level 2
• Public facilities at Alert Level 2
• Event facilities at Alert Level 2

Ministry of Education COVID-19 information.