NZEI Te Riu Roa is demanding that the government take accountability and shoulder the “large and unforeseen costs” of removing asbestos-tainted sand used in schools and Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres as part of their education programmes.
In a letter to Education Minister Erica Stanford, NZEI Te Riu Roa President Ripeka Lessels said the potential cost of the clean-up was massive and could potentially cripple schools financially.
“Not only is this a question of budget deficits; more importantly, it may divert funding away from essential supports to learning,” says Mrs Lessels.
Since the contamination resulted from a massive failure in the government’s regulatory systems, she says any corrective action must be funded by the government.
“We urge you to demand swift and decisive intervention at a ministerial and system-wide level from your Cabinet colleagues. This must include a broad, formal investigation into how fibre boards and asbestos-containing sand entered New Zealand,” Mrs Lessels said.
As of 17 November, nearly 170 schools and around 100 ECE centres have sought advice from the Ministry of Education following the discovery that asbestos-contaminated sand had been used as part of their education programmes.
In its 18 November School Bulletin, the Ministry advised schools that they would “need to cover the costs of safely removing asbestos and remediating affected areas. Your school may wish to seek a refund from the supplier.”
“It is disgraceful that schools and ECEs would have to pick up the tab resulting from this huge failure in the Government’s regulatory systems,” says Lynda Stuart, Principal of May Road School in Auckland and a member of the Principals’ Council of NZEI Te Riu Roa.
“The Ministry should pay for remediation. Instead, they are leaving us in the lurch and making us deal with it all. Instead of telling us how and what to teach, they should be helping us in this situation.”
Test results showed positive asbestos contamination at May School, which has been forced to send its students to learn from home this week.
“There will be many schools and ECEs hit by this though we may be one of the worst affected,” says Mrs Stuart.
ENDS