7. Question No. 7—EducationHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 7—Education7. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Education: How many schools in Auckland and the Waikato if any have decided not to return to onsite learning?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): All schools are required to be open for instruction for a minimum number of half-days each year. Being open for instruction does include both learning from home and learning on site. In opening up to all students schools were given the flexibility to make decisions that best meet the needs of their learners and of their community. Schools must however be open on site where children need to attend in person because they don't have an appropriate carer at home. I'm advised that there are five schools that have made the decision to remain closed for on-site learning at this stage as the children did not need to attend in person following consultation with their community. They'll continue to support learning for all students while they remain at home. In addition the Ministry of Education's aware of a small number of schools that have asked for and that have needed an extra couple of days to prepare for on-site learning. That is consistent with the guidance that schools have been given.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Having said It is clear that the risk of reopening schools is outweighed by the benefits of kids re-engaging with their learning face-to-face in this context." why does he think it's acceptable for five schools not to have reopened for on-site learning?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I did not make that judgment. What I said was that these schools are acting consistent with the guidance that has been issued which is that they consult with their local communities about those decisions.Hon Paul Goldsmith: With only three or four weeks left before the end of the year why has he allowed a situation where so many Auckland schools have decided to wait till next week to restart on-site learning?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: It's important that schools do this in a manner that is robust that they consult with their local communities about that and that they generate the confidence of their local communities. We do want to see children and young people back at school so that they can continue their learning face to face; we acknowledge how important that is but I do want to acknowledge that schools have done a remarkably good job of supporting young people to learn from home over the last couple of months when they haven't been able to be on the school sites.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why didn't he set the minimum expectation that schools should accept all children every day for at least half the day in order to give students a realistic chance to re-engage with education before the summer?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We've set out a framework that allows for the return of young people to school safely. We do have to acknowledge that for our primary school - age students vaccination is not currently an option and so we want to make sure that we are providing an opportunity for them to get back to face-to-face learning but also providing additional layers of protection around them. It's one of the reasons why we have a vaccine mandate in schools because we want to avoid COVID-19 getting into schools. Where it does we want to make sure that we're minimising the potential for it to spread amongst a large number of young people. So we are taking a cautious approach here. We're balancing the needs of the physical safety the health safety here but we also want to make sure that we are balancing up on the other side the need to get young people back to face-to-face learning.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What does he say to parents who are worried about their children's education they're wanting to get back to work but find that their local school next week will allow their kids to go back maybe one or two days a week?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: To be very clear as has been the case for some time now where parents are unable to stay home and where there is not an alternative arrangement available to them then those students can go to school. That has been the case not just this week but for some time now."