Last week, the Government announced the Close Contact Exemption Scheme to keep critical services running when we enter Omicron Phase 2.

The scheme enables people who are close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case to go to work if what they do is critical for our supply chains to keep operating. People accessing the scheme must have no symptoms and return a daily negative rapid antigen test.

Generally, we are not anticipating early learning services will need to access the scheme for staff. However, there may be some instances where they are key to the maintenance of other critical services because of the care they provide to the children of those workers. We expect to be able to provide more information on when and how an early learning service might access the scheme in the next bulletin. Any decision to access the scheme will need to be balanced against any potential health risks for children.

We are also aware that some services are being approached by providers to purchase rapid antigen tests. You do not need to buy them. If and when your early learning service requires them to meet the current Phase 2 provisions, they will be provided.

Close Contact Exemption Scheme – Unite Against COVID-19

If you have any questions contact your education provider or your Te Mahau regional COVID -9 contact.

Te Mahau regional COVID-19 contact – Ministry of Education

You may be eligible for support from Work and Income New Zealand to pay staff who are not able to work due to COVID-19 reasons.

The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is for employees who have been:

• advised to self-isolate because of COVID-19
• can’t work at home during that period.

The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment for employees who:

• cannot work from home while they wait for a COVID-19 test result.

Neither scheme is revenue tested.

You can find details of the schemes and criteria to access them in the below links:

COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme – Work and Income

COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment – Work and Income

The Government has agreed to meet some of the costs of relief teachers where that relief teacher has been employed to cover the paid notice periods directly related to staff members not meeting the vaccination mandate. This support is not available for home-based educators.

Applications are open today from Tuesday 15 February until Thursday 17 March. Eligible applicants will receive a payment on 1 April 2022. 

COVID-19 ECE Reliever Fund Application Form – Ministry of Education

If you are applying for five or more terminated teachers,  complete this reliever template and attach this to the application form.

COVID-19 ECE reliever template form [DOCX, 136 KB] 

To find out more about the application process and the online application form:

Funding settings under the new traffic light system - Te Mahau

If you have any questions about the application process, email covid19.ecereliever@education.govt.nz.

In Phase 2, cases of Omicron have spread in the community, and we need to minimise and slow further spread and assist our vulnerable communities.

This means changes for:

• testing
• case investigation and contact tracing
• isolation and quarantine
• health and social support – care in the community.

Phase 2, Omicron – Unite Against COVID-19

Things you can do to protect yourself through all phases

• Get your COVID-19 booster shot.
• Continue to mask, scan and pass wherever you go.
• Maintain good hygiene and physical distancing.
• Stay home if unwell.

As you will be aware, those who have completed self-isolating from COVID-19 if they were a confirmed case or close contact currently receive a release letter via email.

This letter advises individuals that they have completed their time in isolation and can now return to their usual activities.

In the event you have any staff or tamariki who have been required to self-isolate, we encourage you to support them return to their early learning service as soon as their isolation period ends. Tamariki and staff are not required to provide the release letter in advance of their return.

We advised in the 1 February Bulletin that we intended carrying out a voluntary collection of financial information from education and care and home-based services. This is to support the Pay Parity Funding Review and will run from early March until early April.

We understand the timing of the collection may not be ideal with COVID-19 related pressures and constraints affecting services. Nonetheless, we really encourage participation from the service types targeted. The information collected is important for understanding how best to align funding with certificated teacher salary costs.

The financial information we will be seeking is for each service and includes the period from 1 July 2020–30 June 2021.

Service revenue split by:

• government agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) 
• time-based parent/caregiver fees and non-time-based fee parent/caregiver costs (e.g., excursions, donations)
• other sources.

Service expenses split by:

• certificated teacher salaries
• other expenses as a combined amount.

Thank you for supporting this work. We will be working with a sector-nominated Expert Advisory Group supporting progress on the review.

If you have any questions about the details of the data collection prior to it being sent in March, send them to ece.statistics@education.govt.nz.

Under the NZEI Te Tiu Roa/ PPTA Te Wehengarua/ Ministry Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga Accord we would like to get your views about how the Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako model might be made more responsive to local needs.

Here is a short survey which will be open for feedback until Friday 4 March.

Kāhui Ako survey – Ministry of Education

Feel free to share it with anyone in your organisation (and beyond) who may have an interest.

For more information about Kāhui Ako or the survey, contact kahui.ako@education.govt.nz.