Schools adjust to lockdown learning

Mahurangi schools have transitioned to online learning, but there are concerns for students with upcoming exams and rural students without internet.

Mahurangi College principal Tony Giles says students and staff were well prepared after previous lockdowns and online learning has started.

However, he says it is “not ideal” that the lockdown has caught Year 12 and 13 students as they approach exams.

“I would expect that if the lockdown goes more than a couple of weeks, the Ministry of Education will make provisions such as reducing credit requirements and delaying exams,” Mr Giles says.

His message to students is to try to maintain their routine as much as possible.

“That means keeping up with online lessons but also staying in contact with classmates and maintaining the classroom culture.”

Warkworth School principal Cynthia Holden says the transition to digital learning at her school has also worked smoothly.

However, she has concerns for students who do not have access to digital devices or have an internet connection at home.

She says the Government has allowed a limited number of staff to visit the school and prepare hard packs of learning materials, but an announcement on how they may be distributed is yet to be made.

“Once that is known, we will act on that opportunity so that we can support all students to continue learning at home.”

Meanwhile, Tomarata School has decided to declare the first week of lockdown as a “mid-term break” while it takes stock.

Staff are busy preparing for online learning from next week, and for a potentially longer lockdown.

Principal Cherylene Neels hopes the Ministry of Education will be forthcoming in supplying hard packs of educational materials to the school for students who need them.

She says staff have been calling each family to check how they are, if they need hard packs and if they need further support.

Ms Neels says it is important to keep up a sense of community.

“Before lockdown we were supposed to hold a whole-school production, so we are devising a way to change that to an online Tomarata’s Got Talent show.”