The New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF) welcomes the announcement that school holiday dates will remain unchanged
and start from Saturday 2 October as scheduled.
President of NZPF Perry Rush said today, "Young people thrive on certainty and the education workforce has worked hard
to pivot to remote learning at level 4 and hybrid models down the levels. It makes good sense to avoid disrupting the
systems, set up to date, to support students during the latest COVID crisis."
"The impact of isolation on young people and growing mental health concerns underlines the importance of helping young
people experience a holiday period where they can reconnect to their peers and family. Holding the school holidays to
the anticipated date best enables this to occur."
"There is no guarantee that the final term of the year will be without serious COVID challenges and the potential for
further lockdowns. Holding to the current school holiday plan enables young people to be best prepared to cope with the
uncertainty of what may lie ahead." he said