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Elite New Zealand schools have claimed millions through the Government's wage subsidy, many of them while still charging full fees to students. Schools collecting full tuition fees said they were suffering as badly as any exposed business during the Covid-19 pandemic because they had lost … View moreElite New Zealand schools have claimed millions through the Government's wage subsidy, many of them while still charging full fees to students. Schools collecting full tuition fees said they were suffering as badly as any exposed business during the Covid-19 pandemic because they had lost income from international students and boarding fees. They still expected to make at least a 30 per cent loss, the threshold required to make the subsidy. However, at least one of the schools is now paying the money back after it overestimated the losses it would make. State schools are not eligible for the subsidy because the Government has guaranteed the wages of their staff. Private schools, on the other hand, are run as businesses and could apply if they expected a financial hit. A Ministry of Social Development database shows 21 private schools have claimed a total of $11.7m in wage subsidies so far. Most of them claimed the subsidy to cover the wages of non-teaching staff such as those in boarding houses or swimming schools. Others made much larger applications which included wages for teaching staff.
St Cuthbert's College in Auckland claimed $1.92 million for 302 staff members. It was still charging full fees during lockdown - between $20,000 and $25,000 a year for domestic students - though boarding fees had been reduced. Students were getting a "premium" online teaching service at home. "Our loss of revenue predictions at the outset of the lockdown were not based around any reduction in fees to parents," the school said through a spokeswoman. "They were based around a worst-case scenario of 30 per cent loss of revenue. This was predicted to be reduced revenue from our swim school, boarding, conferences and facility hire, and a roll decline." There was significant uncertainty about the scale and the length of the pandemic when it first arrived in this country, the school said. But six weeks later, it no longer expected a 30 per cent loss. St Cuthbert's had not spent any of the subsidy and planned to pay back "the bulk" of it. Some of the money would be kept because the swimming school had closed and the boarding facility expected to lose 30 per cent of its revenue.
Scots College in Wellington is also charging full fees, which run up to $22,000 a year. It claimed $1.2 million from the wage subsidy. The school did not respond to a request for comment. Private schools with a large number of international students or boarders had suffered particularly badly during the Covid-19 outbreak because the students had returned home and boarding schools had been forced to close. Dale Burden, principal of St Peter's School in Cambridge, said international students made up around 7 per cent of the school's roll. Some were stuck overseas when the lockdown was enforced, and others returned home. His school expected to lose "30 per cent and more" of its revenue and had claimed $2.15 million through the wage subsidy scheme.
It had also lost revenue by scrapping boarding fees (around $15,000 a year), its swim school, letting fees and business courses. The school had reduced tuition fees for students, Burden said, although some parents had insisted on paying their full fees and having the difference donated to a hardship fund for struggling families. The school charges between $19,000 and $25,000 for domestic students, and twice that amount for international students. Diocesan School for Girls claimed $174,000 for 38 staff. In a newsletter to parents, principal Heather McRae said this was to cover the costs of the swimming facility and boarding school, which were forced to close under the Covid-19 lockdown. The school was no longer charging boarders but had to cover the staff wages for the boarding facility - around $33,000. The school was still charging fees to students ($20,000-$24,000) and was providing intensive online classes. Families who had been financially hit by the lockdown could apply for relief, McRae said. Other top schools including King's College do not appear to have claimed the subsidy. It was also available to state-integrated schools, such as religious or "special character" schools. The Government has paid out more than $10 billion through the wage subsidy scheme.
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More than a wine guide...Thank you Bob Campbell MW. We really appreciate your support!
Bob Campbell MW is New Zealand's leading wine writer.
Article by - The Real Review
When children discover fun in Maths, they learn the building blocks to think critically to solve any problem. We all know that maths underpins our everyday lives … be it when scoring a sports game, baking a cake or counting down the weeks, days or even hours until the end of the school year! Here… View moreWhen children discover fun in Maths, they learn the building blocks to think critically to solve any problem. We all know that maths underpins our everyday lives … be it when scoring a sports game, baking a cake or counting down the weeks, days or even hours until the end of the school year! Here are 7 creative ways to thread maths into your child’s day to day activities, to spark a love of numbers:
Head over to our blog.
The death of a person who was hit by a train at a West Auckland railway crossing is believed to be a…
Hi Neighbours,
If you have ordered a parcel to be delivered by courier during lockdown, Stuff/Homed would love you to take part in this short poll please. We would like to know if you have had problems with the theft of courier parcels (not just delays) from your letterbox or porch, or if this not… View moreHi Neighbours,
If you have ordered a parcel to be delivered by courier during lockdown, Stuff/Homed would love you to take part in this short poll please. We would like to know if you have had problems with the theft of courier parcels (not just delays) from your letterbox or porch, or if this not been an issue. If you would like to add detail or comment, please email me. Thank you.
Hi Neighbours, Would you rather have a Big Mac or Flat White, or new infrastructure and amenities for your rates dollars. In a recent Neighbourly poll 83.3 per cent opted for a rates freeze. Is that best for Auckland? Read the story below:
While your teenager has got some time at home, why not encourage them to study for their driver license and become a great kiwi driver! Register your teen on Drive App for all the information they need to know about the Learner License Programme. We also offer workshops to help you along the way. … View moreWhile your teenager has got some time at home, why not encourage them to study for their driver license and become a great kiwi driver! Register your teen on Drive App for all the information they need to know about the Learner License Programme. We also offer workshops to help you along the way. Learn more and take the quiz to be into win three free driving lessons.
Police want to speak to a man captured on CCTV at an Auckland car yard where a suspicious fire destr…
Anzac Day holiday is just around the corner. Remember all council kerbside collections will be collected a day later and will return to normal on Monday 4 May.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us all how quickly life can change. For many New Zealanders, this has meant job losses or significant pay cuts – and the family pantry suddenly empty.
For the past two months, there’s been a huge demand for food parcels from local charities around the … View moreThe Covid-19 pandemic has shown us all how quickly life can change. For many New Zealanders, this has meant job losses or significant pay cuts – and the family pantry suddenly empty.
For the past two months, there’s been a huge demand for food parcels from local charities around the country. Find out what we’ve been doing behind the scenes to support these charities who are helping New Zealanders get back on their feet.
(PS – we want to say a special ‘thank you’ to all of you who have made a donation at your local store. Your generous support is helping keep New Zealanders fed.)
During this time of COVID-19, it’s important we remember the different signs of stroke and that stroke is always a medical emergency.
One New Zealander every hour experiences stroke. But if you think F.A.S.T. you could save someone’s life and give them the best chance of recovery.
F - … View moreDuring this time of COVID-19, it’s important we remember the different signs of stroke and that stroke is always a medical emergency.
One New Zealander every hour experiences stroke. But if you think F.A.S.T. you could save someone’s life and give them the best chance of recovery.
F - Face - Is it drooping on one side?
A - Arm - Is one arm weak?
S - Speech - Is it mixed up, slurred or lost?
T - Take Action - Call 111 immediately.
Think F.A.S.T., act fast, and keep looking out for each other.
Thank you, from the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand.
Hi Neighhours,
It's been a tough last few weeks, right? When life gets hard and the world gets scary, it's our loved ones we turn to for support.
But this extraordinary coronavirus pandemic is different. Many of us can't see our most special friends and whānau because we want to … View moreHi Neighhours,
It's been a tough last few weeks, right? When life gets hard and the world gets scary, it's our loved ones we turn to for support.
But this extraordinary coronavirus pandemic is different. Many of us can't see our most special friends and whānau because we want to keep them safe, and we want to get through this as a nation by following social distancing and Covid-19 Alert Level 3 rules.
While thousands of people are returning to work, visiting friends and family outside of your bubble may still be off the cards for some time longer.
Do you have a message for someone you can't see in person? A shout out to a sibling or best friend? A much-loved and missed grandparent? A new baby you need to virtually cuddle?
Level 3 Love Letters is an opportunity to share a video message for a loved one on Stuff.
You can upload your video here so we can share it with them and New Zealand
Five cases of coronavirus previously considered part of a separate cluster have now been linked to t…
Waitematā DHB says it's apologised to families of patients on the ward and it's planning to change its rosters for nursing staff. It comes after three nurses at the hospital tested positive for the disease. They requested to management that if they worked in the COVID-19 ward that they … View moreWaitematā DHB says it's apologised to families of patients on the ward and it's planning to change its rosters for nursing staff. It comes after three nurses at the hospital tested positive for the disease. They requested to management that if they worked in the COVID-19 ward that they shouldn't also work in wards that were free of infection. However, their concerns were ignored. As a result, staff worked on the COVID ward one day - which is Wing A in the Muriwai Ward - and then on the Older Adults Rehabilitation Ward, or Wing B, the next day. Now six elderly patients in the previously virus-free ward are considered probable cases. Chief medical officer for Waitematā DHB Dr Jonathan Christiansen says there are plans to care for these patients. "They will be managed in strict isolation on the presumption they have COVID," Dr Christiansen says.
The DHB says it had regional clinical backing that such a rostering system was safe, but it's now changing its policy so nurses working on the COVID ward work exclusively there. Auckland University Associate Professor Mark Thomas is an infectious diseases physician at Auckland Hospital and says he's not aware of what type of pressures managers at Waitakere could have been under, but it's clear the DHB's original policy was problematic. "I can imagine the sort of things that might have led them to make that decision, but it was obviously an unfortunate decision, and so yes it's proven to be wrong," Thomas says. Capital and Coast and Hutt DHBs say staff who care for COVID-19 patients "are not involved in the care of non-COVID cases". Thomas says the Health Ministry should have set advice for all hospitals. "Over many years the Ministry of Health has tended to run down a lot of its abilities to deal with this sort of situation and hasn't put as much effort into supporting public health." The Waitematā DHB says it's called the affected families on the previously virus-free ward. "All those calls to families were made to explain the situation and to apologise that their loved ones were put in that situation," Dr Christiansen says. But at this point, there has been no apology for putting staff in that situation, something that NZ Nurses Organisation president Kerri Nuku believes should happen. "Staff deserve an apology from the management and we need to see there are constructive ways moving forward. That it's not just lip service but action in the right direction," Nuku says.Dr Christiansen s ays "it's disappointing" staff haven't raised issues with him or other management. But nurses have told they raised concerns with their managers over many weeks.
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The government is temporarily amending immigration law to make it more flexible and responsive to challenges posed by Covid-19.
It will introduce a bill to Parliament on Tuesday, to support more "efficient management" of visa changes.
The bill introduces eight time-limited powers … View moreThe government is temporarily amending immigration law to make it more flexible and responsive to challenges posed by Covid-19.
It will introduce a bill to Parliament on Tuesday, to support more "efficient management" of visa changes.
The bill introduces eight time-limited powers allowing it to:
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• Impose, vary or cancel conditions for classes of temporary-entry visa holders
• Vary or cancel conditions for classes of resident-class visa holders
• Extend the expiry dates of visas for classes of people
• Grant visas to individuals and classes of people in the absence of an application
• Waive any regulatory requirements for certain classes of application
• Waive the requirement to obtain a transit visa
• Suspend the ability to make applications for visas or submit expressions of interest in applying for visas by classes of people
• Revoke the entry permission of people who arrive either on private aircraft or marine vessels (to align them with people who arrive on commercial flights, who can already be refused entry)
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