A sign on the Manaia View School gate lets people know the school is closed. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A sign on the Manaia View School gate lets people know the school is closed. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Only 1 per cent of Northland students turned up to the first days of school under alert level 3 prompting praise from principals who say they are proud of whānau.
Wednesday was the first day of school after the lockdown and Ministry of Education data showed only 320 students -or 1 per cent of total students - attended school that day, and of Northland's 150 schools, 73 - or 49 per cent - had one or more student onsite.
Yesterday, 319 students attended school and 54 schools - or 36 per cent - had one or more students onsite.
"Our community is one where we have a lot of grandparents looking after children and all have elderly whānau living with them, so I can understand having whānau in the household that are at risk.
"They're thinking of the safety of their whānau first and so I'm very proud of them for being quite aware of the need to keep tamariki home if they can, and they have."
Otene said her kura would continue doing distance learning online and using the hard-copy packs from the Ministry of Education, supplemented by extra packs teachers had put together.
She said although the school was apart physically, bonds had grown stronger.
"I would have to say that our relationship with our whānau has been enhanced. That's probably been one of the positive sides of this whole experience with learning from home," she said.
Manaia View School principal Leanne Otene. Photo / John Stone
Otene believed the impact of the strong stance iwi had taken on Covid-19 had been reflected in what was happening in education and the decisions families were making to keep tamariki home, if they could.
"That proactiveness iwi are showing has disseminated down to what's happening in our schools. I believe there's a correlation there."
Brendon Morrissey, principal of Kaitaia Primary School, also had no students return under alert level 3.
He said the school had planned to be able to open for up to six bubbles of students but, in the end, no students returned.
"A lot of our parents said they didn't see the sense in expanding their family bubble by another 10 plus two staff members. Our families saw a lot more sense in expanding their bubbles by one person, who could come and look after the kids while they were at work.
"Honestly, I'm blown away. I actually did a Facebook Live post for the first time. I just said how proud I was and how we were all looking after each other and keeping in contact. For an experience where we are all isolated, it's been quite bonding."
Meanwhile, Hora Hora Primary School principal and Te Tai Tokerau Principals' Association president Pat Newman said on Wednesday, three students had shown up to school and yesterdayfour students were on site.
He said those students were in a room with two teachers and were doing activities similar to what they would have been doing at home.
Newman said it was good parents were deciding to keep kids home if they could and was proud of his school community.
"I honestly think a lot of the parents have really, really enjoyed their involvement with the kids and I don't think they realise the high quality of the work they've been doing."
However, he said parents sending their kids to school should not be shamed.
"No one should be shamed. We're all in this together," he said.
