In case you missed the recent briefing from Dr Ashley Bloomfield in which he talked through potential scenarios and COVID-19 modelling heading into winter (discussed approximately eight minutes into the briefing), it is linked here:

COVID-19 update 13 May – Ministry of Health

• To respond to rising COVID-19 cases and winter illnesses, you will have a number of reliable mitigations available including good cough and sneeze etiquette, regular cleaning and staying away if unwell.
• Consider the case numbers and winter illnesses in your community. Reviewing your health and safety plan may identify further measures are needed including:
  • increased mask wearing when indoors
  • increased monitoring and actions to support good ventilation.
• A reminder that transmission is more likely to occur between adults and from adults to children, and the risk of child-to-child or child-to-adult transmission is considerably less. Therefore, closely review your health and safety policies for staff meetings, shared spaces such as staff rooms and offices.
• The health measures summary in the ‘Risk assessment for COVID-19’ document below summarises the range of options available to you.

Risk assessment for COVID-19 [DOCX, 56 KB]

Risk assessment and planning for COVID-19 – Te Mahau

Transmission of COVID-19 – Ministry of Health

• We know that the numbers of staff absent with COVID-19 is high in a number of areas and that you want to keep kanohi ki te kanohi available wherever possible.
• Please consider:
  • whether you or another school in your Kāhui Ako have RTLBs/LSCs or other qualified teaching staff who are not currently in a classroom teaching role who could be redeployed
  • whether you have a suitable person with a limited authority to teach (LAT). If you need urgent processing of a LAT application, reach out to your Te Mahau adviser who will work with the Teaching Council to accelerate it as far as possible.
• Even with careful planning and with every health mitigation in place, you may experience staff shortages that require you to change your normal operations and you may have to return to hybrid learning or learning from home for a short period of time. 
• You should continue to prioritise face-to-face learning as much as you can. However, if your staff are heavily impacted as a result of being a case, winter illness or isolating as a household contact or you do not have sufficient staff on site to meet minimum health and safety requirements, you will need to close on site and move to learning from home/hybrid learning for a short period of time.
• Sufficient staff for onsite learning will include:
  • qualified first aid staff
  • staff to respond to an emergency
  • cleaning to meet minimum health and safety and COVID-19 requirements
  • staff to safely supervise all the children/students attending on site.
• Should you have to transition to hybrid or distance learning, our Learning from Home website has resources and guidance to support you.
• Decisions will continue to be made locally by boards and principals based on their school’s particular circumstances – the important thing will be to give your communities as much information as soon as possible about those decisions.

Distance learning support – Learning from Home

Please contact your local Te Mahau office if you need any support.

Local Te Mahau offices – Ministry of Education

To support schools and kura meet increased relief teacher costs during Term 1 this year, we temporarily lowered the threshold for seeking additional relief teacher funding (ARTF) from eight to four days for COVID-19 related reasons under the protection framework.

We also made additional relief funding temporarily available to schools that have needed to back-fill essential non-teaching staff due to COVID-19 related absence.

These changes have now been extended into Term 2. The purpose of the funding is to contribute to relief staff costs your school has incurred.

If you incurred relief staff costs to cover a teacher absence for isolation reasons under the COVID-19 protection framework during Term 1 or Term 2 and have not submitted a claim yet, check the information that sets out the claim criteria and how to claim on Te Mahau website.

Additional relief funding – Te Mahau

There have been processing delays due to the high volume of applications we have received for Term 1 ARTF. We do apologise for this and appreciate your patience.

There are other reasons where ARTF may apply. This includes sick leave for over eight days in one calendar year and extended absences when the COVID-19 Protection Framework isolation rules do not apply. 

Find out about that eligibility criteria on our website.

Additional relief teacher funding – Ministry of Education

For non-teaching staff, you will need to complete and return a COVID-19 additional relief funding non-teaching staff reimbursement claim form available on Te Mahau.

Non-teaching staff reimbursement claim form – Te Mahau

With the community spread of COVID-19, schools and kura have booked relief teachers who were then no longer able to undertake the booked work due to contracting COVID-19 or for isolation requirements.    

While covering sick leave for relief teachers is covered under the collective agreements, there may be exceptional reasons why this has put pressure on your funding.

If this is the case for you, and you would like to find out if there are additional financial support options available, please contact your school finance adviser.

Contact details for managing school finances – Ministry of Education

The close contact exemption scheme is still operating under Orange.

It is the only mechanism you can use to support asymptomatic household contacts who are testing negative through a rapid antigen test (RAT) to work in your school during their self-isolation period. Otherwise, a household contact is legally required to remain isolating at home for seven days.

Using the scheme should be a last resort and any decision to access this scheme should be balanced against the health risks for students.

You must first consider all possible alternatives, such as:

• use of relief teachers, unregistered teachers who hold a LAT, non-teaching staff providing supervision for distance learning, or
• rearranging classes or timetables.

We also encourage you to contact parents and caregivers to determine how many children must attend and other care options that may be available to them.

You will need to be registered to use the scheme. A number of health measures must also be in place, including the exempted person:

• wearing a medical mask at all times
• using a dedicated bathroom
• eating alone in a well-ventilated space
• only being allowed to go to and from work.

Close contact exemption scheme and access to rapid antigen tests – Te Mahau

Good ventilation continues to have an important part to play in reducing COVID-19 airborne transmission as we move into winter.

Schools will continue to make their own decisions about how best to manage ventilation in their particular circumstances, but we have published guidance to support your decisions.

The best way to manage ventilation is to open all windows and doors as much as possible and is practical to do so. The exception to this is spaces that are fitted with ducted air conditioning systems (excluding heat pumps), which do not rely on opening windows to bring in fresh air.

Ventilation help in winter – Te Mahau

In addition to the 5,000 portable air cleaners already being distributed, we now have an additional 7,500 air cleaners available for all state and state-integrated schools to support them with ventilation this winter.

The number available to each school will be based on several factors, with more available to schools with larger rolls, in colder climate zones and for schools with a lower decile and special schools.

All schools can expect to receive any additional requested air cleaners between late May and early July.  

To review and request your further allocation, complete the online form below.

Request form for additional distribution of air cleaners – Jotform

Schools with ventilation concerns can also contact our ventilation team ventilation.mailbox@education.govt.nz or their property advisor for advice.

Schools are now also able to buy air cleaners at a discounted price directly from our supplier, Samsung New Zealand.

Visit Samsung’s online store and enter the code ‘3DUCATION’ to receive the discounted pricing of $320-$550 + GST.  

Air purifiers – Samsung

We are also finalising discounted direct order arrangements with another supplier and will confirm those shortly.

A reminder about the use of attendance codes for COVID-19-related absences.

• Absences due to parental concerns that attendance at school is unsafe because of the risk of contracting COVID-19 should generally be considered unjustified and coded as ‘E’ (the student is absent and the reason is explained but considered unjustified).
• There will be some cases where a parent is keeping their child at home because they or another household member is at higher risk. In these cases schools should work with those parents and caregivers to support the child’s learning and code the student as ‘F’.
• If a student is engaged in distance learning because they are undertaking mandatory self-isolation or the school site is closed, we recommended schools use code ‘F’.
• In the event a student’s absence is unexplained or they are unwell, principals can continue to use their own professional judgment in using codes ‘J’ (‘justified’ absence – the reason is within the school policy), ‘M’, ‘T’ or ‘E’.

Where students are being kept at home because of parental anxieties, you will want to work with those parents and caregivers to understand their reasons for keeping their children away from school and support their return to school.

This might include emphasising the clear benefits for learning and wellbeing in person and the risk mitigations in place at school (for example, masks, vaccination, ventilation requirements).

Attendance and engagement – Te Mahau

Anecdotally we are receiving a number of reports of reinfection with COVID-19.

Public health advice is that:

• current evidence shows the chance of having COVID-19 again within 90 days of a first infection is low, especially if it is the same variant – but it can happen
• reinfection within 28 days is considered exceptionally unlikely
• COVID-19 like symptoms may be caused by other infections like the common cold, flu or a chest infection
• reinfection does not generally cause serious illness for most people but a diagnosis of reinfection with COVID-19 can be important for older people, people who have high risk conditions, or people who have frequent close contact with vulnerable people
• people who are low health risk and have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 within 90 days of a COVID-19 diagnosis should stay home and recover until 24 hours after symptoms resolve. They are not required to take a RAT. However, if they become increasingly ill, they should call their GP or Healthline
• people with underlying health conditions or anyone who has worsening symptoms should seek advice from a health practitioner or Healthline on 0800 358 5453. A RAT or PCR test may be recommended
• we know that people can continue to test positive after their recovery but are very unlikely to be infectious after day 10. Retesting during the initial 28-day period is not necessary unless recommended by a health professional
• if you become unwell more than 90 days after a COVID-19 infection you should follow the same advice as for a first infection. That is, seek advice about getting tested.

Further information on catching COVID-19 again is available on the Ministry of Health website.

Catching COVID-19 again – Ministry of Health

Long COVID describes the symptoms that continue or develop after the initial COVID-19 symptoms.

This is usually longer than 12 weeks after a person is first infected.

Most people with COVID-19 recover completely and return to normal health. People usually recover from COVID-19 after two to six weeks and many make a full recovery within 12 weeks.

KidsHealth has provided some useful information about COVID-19 symptoms in children which you may wish to share with your community:

• for most children with mild COVID-19, they will be back to normal within a week. A small number of children might take up to two weeks to feel back to normal
• most children with COVID-19 will have a mild illness and get better quickly
• for a child or young person to have a diagnosis of post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) their symptoms need to be having an impact on their everyday functioning and cannot be explained by another condition
• nearly all children will fully recover and return to normal health
  • scientists and health professionals are still learning about long COVID, but studies so far have found:
  • children are much less likely to have long COVID than adults
  • children recover faster than adults
  • it mostly affects children over the age of 10 – it's very rare in younger children.

Further information is also available on the KidsHealth website, including caring for a child with COVID-19.

Recovering from long COVID – KidsHealth

Caring for a child with COVID-19 – KidsHealth

Long COVID – Ministry of Health NZ

Any child who has COVID-19 or is a household contact must remain at home for the legally required isolation period, regardless of whether they have returned a negative RAT.

Isolation is currently seven days with Day 0 being when a positive test was returned or from symptom onset. At the end of the seven-day isolation period if the child is still sick, they should stay home until they are well and for 24 hours after they no longer have symptoms. 

There is no need to wait for an official message to leave isolation although they may receive a text message confirming their isolation period has ended.

If you have COVID-19 – Unite Against COVID-19

For COVID-19, colds and flus and potentially other illnesses, a child may continue to have minor but lingering symptoms such as a runny nose or minor cough.

• Anyone who is sick should stay home until they are well.
• When a child has respiratory symptoms, they should stay at home and seek advice from their GP or Healthline. Staying home is key to controlling the spread of any virus in a school setting.  
• Many children will have a long-lasting runny nose or cough after viral infections. If it has been more than 10 days since the onset of symptoms and they are no longer feeling unwell, they are very unlikely to be infectious and can therefore return to school.
• However, if they are continuing to feel unwell or their symptoms are worsening after 10 days, they should not return to school. A GP review or a call to Healthline is recommended.

You cannot require evidence from cases or household contacts to support their return following their period of isolation.

Cases and household contacts may not be provided with an official release notification following the end of their period of isolation.

You also cannot require evidence of a negative RAT or PCR test for household contacts (and cases will not be tested again following their initial positive test).

Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 are not required to self-isolate past seven days under public health regulations, but they should not return to school if they are still feeling unwell.

A reminder that principals at state and state-integrated schools have authority to preclude a student from attending if they believe, on reasonable grounds, that the student may have a communicable disease.

You can do this under section 77 of the Education and Training Act 2020. See our website for details.

Communicable diseases: A guide to legal powers – Ministry of Education

We are reactivating the overseas finder’s fee (OFF) and overseas relocation grant (ORG) to help schools and kura that choose to recruit teachers from overseas.

The OFF and ORG will be available from Friday 1 July to align with the new Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) being introduced by Immigration NZ on 4 July 2022.

For more information on the AEWV, see our bulletin last week.

International recruitment – School Bulletin 17 May

The overseas finder’s fee (OFF):

• supports school, kura and ELS to cover the costs involved in recruiting qualified overseas teachers
• up to $3,450 (GST inclusive) per school, kura

The overseas relocation grant (ORG):

• supports a qualified teacher’s move to New Zealand for a teaching role
• up to $5000 (GST inclusive) per teacher 

• Any secondary school (excluding independent schools).
• Hard-to-staff primary schools (excluding independent schools) that are defined as being over 3.0 on the Isolation Index or in deciles 1-3.

To be eligible for either of these grants, the qualified teacher must arrive in New Zealand on or after Friday 1 July and must not be entering the country under the border exception scheme, which is now closed. 

Further details on the OFF and ORG will be released in June on our website and in a bulletin.

If you have any immediate questions, please reach out to your local Te Mahau office. Alternatively, email the Teacher Supply team: teacher.supply@education.govt.nz.

You are invited to attend one of the webinars on the AEWV and overseas teacher recruitment that we are co-hosting with Immigration NZ.

As advertised in last week’s bulletin, the next webinar will be this Thursday 26 May 5-6pm.

International recruitment webinar session two – Teams

Last week, the Government announced the annual budget which includes significant investment for education. Across the education system Budget 2022 provides over $2 billion in operating funding over the next four years and $855 million in capital funding.

For more detailed information, see our website.

Budget 2022 – Ministry of Education

• Funding to implement the Equity Index and remove school deciles, including a $75 million annual increase to equity funding for schools and kura. Transition funding is also included to minimise the impact on schools facing a reduction.
• Further steps to shift more support and decision-making closer to the frontline. This year’s funding includes $62 million to continue driving work to strengthen delivery of the national curriculum and improve quality of teaching and learning, with a particular focus this year on literacy, communications and maths and supporting the education workforce. It also includes $40 million over four years for a new regional response fund to be managed through Te Mahau, and some new roles to support the sector through Te Mahau.
• Continued investment in school infrastructure, totalling $777 million capital funding. This includes funding to continue the National Education Growth Plan to purchase new schools and for furniture and equipment grants. It also includes $105 million for kura property to make sure kura have good-quality classrooms.
• $184.4 million for a 2.75% increase to schools’ operational grants, to help meet increased operational costs.

Through Budget 2022, the Government has announced that we will introduce the Equity Index (EQI) and phase out deciles.

An additional $75 million (around a 50% increase) in equity funding means we have more money that is better targeted to address equity issues. Deciles will no longer be used for school or kura funding from January 2023. 

• As part of this change, we’re creating a new funding component called ‘Equity Funding’ which will replace targeted-at-risk funding (TARG) and targeted funding for educational achievement (TFEA).   
• We are also updating the formula for isolation to better identify our most remote schools and kura. This will reflect the additional costs they face in accessing important services and in response to sector feedback.  

Transition funding through the change

Although overall funding is increasing, and we expect many schools and kura will receive an increase in funding, some schools and kura may qualify for less funding due to these changes.

We will provide transition funding so those schools and kura have time to plan and adapt.   

For the 2023 year, no school will receive less operational grant funding due to the EQI and Isolation Index changes. From 2024 any reduction in funding will be capped at 5% per annum of a school’s 2022 operational grant to enable schools to adjust to these changes over time. 

Support for schools – Ministry of Education

When will more information be available? 

We are currently finalising the EQI output for 2023. We will be releasing more information about the EQI, including your school’s number, in July.  

We will also provide you with high-level information about the eligibility for the school donations scheme before your July roll return.  

Around the same time, our EQI team are planning to set up a series of roadshows so we can provide more detail about these policy changes. We’ll provide further detail on this in a future bulletin. 

As part of the provisional roll setting process, in September we’ll outline what these changes mean for your 2023 funding rates and, if applicable, the details of any transition support you will receive.

Information about how the EQI will impact other schemes will be released as details are confirmed.

Key dates

• June: School donations scheme eligibility  
• July: Your EQI information  
• From early August: Regional roadshows 
• September: Detailed funding information  

New resources have been released by Te Poutāhū | Curriculum Centre to support relationships and sexuality education.

Relationships and sexuality education resources – Health and Physical Education

Relationships and sexuality education resources support planning for teaching, learning, and assessment in relationships and sexuality education.

The new resources are clear, easy to use, bicultural and inclusive with information on consent, the use of digital technologies, healthy relationships, and includes a module on the sensitive topic of pornography.

If you’d like assistance supporting the wellbeing of a learner at your school who is trans, non-binary or intersex, please contact your Te Mahau education advisor.

As you may be aware, we’re developing an Online Curriculum Hub (OCH) which will eventually replace Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) and further enhance Kauwhata Reo.

The OCH will be a one-stop shop for quick, easy and safe access to quality resources and materials that are relevant and up to date.

The project forms part of the broader curriculum refresh that is currently underway. It incorporates content from Years 1 to 13 in English, Māori and dual-language pathways, including material relevant to delivering the current NCEA.

Our project team is well underway with planning, building and testing the new OCH site alongside teachers and kaiako (through our curriculum leads). We’re working toward launching the first release by the end of the year.

If you’d like more information on the OCH, email och@education.gov.nz.

The engagement phase of the Student Wellbeing Measures mahi is closing at the end of June. You still have time to participate. Kia tere, hurry!

This is a reminder and final invitation to all schools with students in Years 7 to 13+ to enable your students to have the opportunity to engage in this important mahi. 

We have a range of workshop formats and an individual student learning module available to support participation. Class resources kits will be available until Wednesday 22 June.

We’ve received very positive feedback and engagement to date.

Ākonga and their families continue to tell us that they wish to contribute, and we want to ensure that as many students as possible feel heard in this phase.

If you’d like to take up this opportunity, we provide relevant resources to you – usually within three school days.

Please contact the project team on edkstudent.measures@education.govt.nz or call 04 4631001.