19.8.2026
School is mass murder
https://x.com/CatieZee/status/2089973078625542376
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Catherine @CatieZee
The principal of a Napier kura says more than half of their students are not at school this week because they are sick.
https://rnz.co.nz/news/education/1056808/winter-illnesses-harming-students-education-nzpf-president-says
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9:09 AM · Aug 19, 2026
1,137 Views
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What does the article NOT say? What do the people obviously NOT talk about?
Covid is grinding down health. That huge wave of sickness has a cause: a ruined immune system, ruined by Covid.
DO HOME-SCHOOLING, YOU IDIOTS!
https://rnz.co.nz/news/education/1056808/winter-illnesses-harming-students-education-nzpf-president-says
(unabridged for legal reasons)
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Winter illnesses harming students' education, NZPF president says
Jessica Hopkins
Journalist
RNZ Digital reporters
Student, backpack and books.
Caption:The past couple of weeks have been the worst in three years for school absences due to illness and medical reasons.Photo credit:Taylor Flowe
The principal of a Napier kura says more than half of their students are not at school this week because they are sick.
Maraenui Bilingual School Tumuaki, Traci Liddall, said 67 percent of their 125 students stayed home on Monday, and 56 percent did on Tuesday and Wednesday. All but two of those students were reported to have flu-like symptoms.
Data from the Ministry of Education showed almost 10 percent of class time was lost across the country last week due to illness. The past couple of weeks have been the worst in three years for school absences due to illness and medical reasons.
Hawke's Bay has been hit hard - one day last week, Napier Girl's High had 20 percent of its students, or about 200 girls, off due to sickness. The Terrace School - a primary in Waikpukurau - had 76 kids off on Tuesday, about a third of its roll, as well as six teachers.
Liddall said the Ministry of Education advising parents to send children to school with mild symptoms like a runny nose was unhelpful.
"It bothers me that the ministry are on our back about attendance, but we can't help this.
"As much as we would like the tamariki to be at kura, I'd rather sick kids stay at home and get properly well before they come to school, otherwise they just spread germs.
"Sending kids with sniffles is not a good message to be sending, so I'm disappointed to see that."
She said three teachers at the bilingual school, including herself, were also sick.
They had merged some classes, but they often did that due to small class numbers, to give teachers relief time.
Liddal said she had not seen sickness-related absences this high in her 30-year teaching career, other than during Covid-19.
"Fifteen to 20 percent would be a bad day for absences for us, unless there's something going on in the community, like a big tangi.
"I've never seen anything like this."
Winter illnesses are harming students' education, the president of the New Zealand Principals' Federation says.
Have you been affected by school sickness? Get in touch at iwitness@rnz.co.nz
NZPF president Jason Miles said absences that high affected student learning.
"You've got to work out what the children have missed in that time that they've been away. It's about the teachers knowing their children, knowing what they have missed and looking at what they can do to catch up," he told RNZ.
The principal's federation encouraged children to stay away if they were unwell, but to come back as soon as they were feeling better, he said.
"There are different communities that are hit harder than others for a period of time, and it takes 5-10 days to get over this flu, so in that time you've got a number of children who are sick, a number of children who about to get sick and of course you've got staff who are sick as well."
Illness among staff was particularly problematic, and was putting huge pressure on the relieving teacher pool, particularly in high schools.
"When you've got a lot of children away, it's fairly straightforward, but if you've got more staff away, percentage-wise, than children, then that's a really difficult space for leaders to be in, because that's about getting enough adults to keep your school open.
"So school leaders are either having to double up classes, put management staff in classes, which impacts on other parts of running the school, or rostering some years home."
The Ministry of Education said it shared guidance published by Health New Zealand on its website to support parents in deciding whether their child was well enough to attend school.
"We know parents are often making these decisions first thing in the morning, and it isn't always clear-cut," group general manager Helen Hurst said.
"When symptoms are mild, it may not always be obvious whether a child needs to stay home. The guidance helps parents make that call.
"Regular attendance is important for learning, but children who are sick should stay home. When they are well enough to learn, they should be at school."
Auckland Primary Principals' Association executive Lucy Naylor told the NZ Herald that parents could not afford to have a "she'll be right attitude" towards illness.
She acknowledged there could be "conflicting messaging" over when to keep children home, however.
Health NZ has official guidance for when children should not be at school.
It states: "If a child is too unwell to learn or they have an infectious illness that could spread easily to others, they need to be kept at home away from school so they can recover or get health advice or care."
Children should stay home or parents/caregivers should be contacted to collect them if any of the following criteria apply:
They have tested positive for Covid-19
They have a symptom of concern such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, a sore throat or difficulty breathing
The child appears unwell, upset or unsettled
Public health or their doctor has advised the child to stay at home because they have an infectious illness that could be spread easily, such as measles.
News
Education
19 August 2026, 6:14pm
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Do home-schooling. Or die.