Yesterday the Government sent mixed signals with the release of an education package that is clearly aimed at enabling education from home. It looks a lot like they are setting up for a lengthy period of students learning from home – my guess is probably for the duration of Term 2.
Term 2 is officially due to start next week after Easter, on Wednesday 15 April with a duration of 12 weeks (nearly three months).
Minister of Education Chris Hipkins stated:
The Ministry of Education is working with partners to develop a package of options so that students can learn at home when Term 2 begins on 15 April, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today.
Supports are also being prepared for households with children under five, to help parents and whānau keep their children engaged in learning through play, Chris Hipkins said.
“It’s important to reinforce up front that the Government is still working to a timeframe of a four-week Level 4 lockdown but we’re planning for every scenario.
“That means, in education, developing robust distance learning infrastructure and a more resilient system so that learners can receive education in any scenario.
“We’re moving so that all families will have at least one education delivery option available to them when Term 2 starts,” Chris Hipkins said.
The official start date for term 2 is next Wednesday, but the four week lockdown extends past that another week and a day, so schools can’t open for the start of term 2 in any case (unless there’s a sudden change of Level 4 rules).
The Government would be unlikely to put together such an extensive ‘learn from home’ package for one week of education.
How many hard copy packs are being printed and for which years?
Depending on demand, and subject to printing and delivery logistics, we are prepared to ship tens of thousands of packs if required over the coming weeks.
A variety of packs are being prepared for all age groups – early learners and from year 1 through NCEA, including for learners in Māori medium. We will start by prioritising delivery these to younger students and those who are disadvantaged. NCEA students will be able to request packs across up to six subject areas each.
Shipping “over the coming weeks” isn’t education cover for a week or two.
What is the estimated flow of internet-ready devices for students to work on?
About 17,000 devices have been ordered and are confirmed to be shipped to students and ākonga in April. Not all will arrive before 15 April, and it may take up to a month for all of them to be sent to households. Many schools already have their own stocks.
We are working to secure thousands more devices from offshore.
That doesn’t sound like a short term plan.
TV channels
“We’re also preparing education broadcasts on two channels, one for English medium schooling and one for Māori medium, starting on 15 April,” Chris Hipkins said.
“The broadcasts will run over six and a half hours during the day.”
They are not setting that up for a week or two of broadcasts.
Level 4 specifies “educational facilities closed” so that specifically rules out schools opening next week.
Level 3 specifies “affected educational facilities closed”. It will depend on what ‘affected’ means.
They could be allowing for the possibility of a drop to Level 3 in the near future (after 4 weeks or soon after) but the likelihood that some regions may stay at Level 4, or some regions or the country may have to go back up to level 4 at some stage in the future.
I think that parents and caregivers of school students should be informed as soon as possible what the likely arrangements will be for schools after the 4 weeks and for the duration of Term 2.
UPDATE: ‘Unlikely’ students back at school as soon as lockdown ends – Education Minister
Once the lockdown is over, Education Minister Chris Hipkins told The AM Show that parents shouldn’t expect their children to be heading back to school straight away.
“Don’t assume that as soon as we are come out of level four that schools and early childhood services will all automatically reopen. That is actually unlikely. It is likely to be more of a staged re-entry for schools and early childhood centres and that is going to be done based on health advice” he said.
“It is quite difficult to manage social distancing and, particularly for young kids and early childhood and in primary schooling, so we are working through all of the different scenarios for when it will be safe for kids to go back to school.
“We want them back at school as quickly as we can get them back to school. But we are not going to do that until we know they will be safe and we are not going to be spreading the virus.”