3. Question No. 3—EducationHon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 3—Education3. Hon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of Education: Does he have confidence that schools will be able to deal with the financial and social impact of COVID-19?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): Yes. Over the last couple of months the Government has been providing support to schools during COVID-19 including $87.7 million for distance learning funding to cover casual staff during lockdown and the extension of the wage subsidy scheme to school hostel staff among other examples. There is of course more work that needs to be done. I want to thank schools and all of those working in the education sector for their professionalism and their efforts to support students young people and all New Zealanders in fact during this very difficult time.Hon Nikki Kaye: What is the estimated financial impact on schools of falling international student numbers and fund-raising revenue as a result of COVID-19?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: At this point it's very difficult to come up with an accurate projection of the likely impact. The vast majority of international school students that were expected this year arrived before the border closures started and at this point we haven't had clear feedback on the number of students who have returned to their home countries. In terms of local fund-raising that's really hypothetical as to how much fund-raising schools will be able to do between now and the end of the year. We are looking very closely at that. I do acknowledge that it's likely to have an impact on schools and we'll continue to talk to them about how we can help to manage some of that.Hon Nikki Kaye: What is the public health rationale if any and the expected social impacts of no social distancing in school transport?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: It wouldn't be fair to say that there's absolutely no social distancing in school transport. There is for example distancing around the driver to ensure that the driver doesn't come into contact with the students. With regard to the rest of the school bus the school bus really is no different to a classroom and there'll be clear tagging-on and tagging-off measures so that we know exactly which students were on the bus so that if we have to take any follow-up action as a result of a COVID-19 case we're able to do so.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Would the Minister be able to assuage the Hon Nikki Kaye's concerns about the school funding by pointing to this Government's recent injection of substantial funding into school administration which wasn't there hitherto until he came to power?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The current Government has in fact been significantly increasing school operations funding over the term of our Government and there'll be a little bit more to say about that in the next 24 hours I would predict.Hon Nikki Kaye: What is the public health rationale and expected social impacts of more than 10 teachers being allowed to gather but not 10 people at a funeral?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think the assertion in the last part of the member's question—I think she might be aware that the Government has made further announcements regarding funerals just in the last couple of hours.Hon Nikki Kaye: When will he announce a decision on whether international students can come to New Zealand so that schools can address the long-term financial impacts of COVID-19?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: What I've said to all of those involved in international education is that as soon as we can get a robust arrangement around quarantine up and running we will look to welcome international students back to New Zealand. It'd be fair to say that for the schools sector that's one of the more challenging sectors because of the pastoral care that would be involved in any kind of quarantine arrangement whereas if you're bringing in tertiary students the pastoral care needs may be less if they're in quarantine. But we'll certainly work with the sector to get such a scheme up and running as quick as we can consistent with the public health advice that we need to I think all follow to make sure we're keeping New Zealanders safe and stopping a further spread of COVID-19 due to people coming through the border.