The university says the Delta variant means further alert level yo-yo'ing this year can't be ruled out. Photo / Dan Cook, RNZ
The university says the Delta variant means further alert level yo-yo'ing this year can't be ruled out. Photo / Dan Cook, RNZ
The country's biggest university will keep all its Auckland teaching online for the rest of the year, even if the city's Covid-19 restrictions are eased.
The University of Auckland said on its website and in an email that the Delta variant's volatility meant more impromptu alert level changes were possiblein future.
"As in previous lockdowns, we know that a degree of certainty is far preferable to the disruptions caused by opening and closing our campuses at short notice," the university said.
"We have therefore made the decision to remain in online teaching and learning mode for the rest of Semester Two, regardless of alert level."
That meant all teaching and learning at that campus would be conducted online and all staff would work from home, apart from those authorised to be on campus.
Meanwhile, some senior secondary school students will be eligible for support, education authorities said today.
Schools outside of Auckland returned today, after 16 days in lockdown.
The lockdown meant students would not have been eligible for Learning Recognition Credits (LRCs) to reflect time spent away from the classroom.
Eligible students can get the credits at a rate of 1 LRC per five credits achieved through assessment, up to a cap of eight LRCs at NCEA Level 1, and six LRCs and levels 2 and 3.
"Although students in Auckland continue to do the hard mahi in lockdown, those who returned to Alert Level 2 this week have also been significantly impacted by the loss of 16 days of classroom learning time," NZQA chief executive Grant Klinkum said.
The lower cap reflected the shorter amount of time spent away from school.
Students who were disrupted for 20 school days will meet thresholds for changes to endorsements and University Entrance.
