Kate Hawkesby: Won't it be great to have some precedented times for a change?

Thank God the flooding and torrential rain's abated and for parents thank goodness school's back. Although is it? The Ministry of Education spun the wheelie on school closures, but it’s been an incredibly frustrating process as a parent. And not just me, I’ve heard from countless parents absolutely exasperated about the way this has yo-yoed around.  From saying all Early Childhood Centres will be closed, to then backtracking and saying some can open, to shutting schools but not making it a clear directive.  Hence the likes of Auckland Grammar announced they’d be opening regardless - only to then have to email parents again late that night and backtrack saying the Ministry had said they couldn’t.  I heard from primary parents who’d been told that even though school was shut they’d still run a school holiday programme for children in the school hall, only to then have to tell them no, they weren’t allowed to do that either.  My daughter’s school emailed initially to say the school was undamaged and would open as usual, only to later that night email again to say no they weren’t allowed to open. The Diocesan principal was ropeable in her email regarding such late confirmation of closures and poor communication from the Ministry. So that part was all a cluster.  The kids were bummed, parents were bummed, childcare situations were in disarray and of course there was no continuity about it.  Businesses could open – but advised people to work from home – yet that was up to individual businesses as opposed to ECE’s which are also businesses but who had a directive to stay shut.  And then yesterday the U-turn.  Suddenly schools could open but problem is that many people had made other plans, schools had reorganized curriculums and schedules, parents had restructured work commitments so everyone’s week was thrown into disarray again.  Schools were again left to communicate with parents as to whether they’d be opening or not. Some said they would – others said they wouldn’t though and that the last minute turn around was not enough notice for them to back track all the changes they'd already put in place.  We didn't hear from our school until an email eventually arrived at 5.30 last night saying that it was ‘very difficult’ to change with a few hours’ notice so the school would remain closed today, but will open on Friday.  And then there's a long weekend so let's face it, in all reality, most kids are not back until next Tuesday. So it’s been a haphazard start to their year, and after two years of disruption with Covid, they’re well over it.  Won’t it be great to have some precedented times for a change?!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.