Ministry of Education's pandemic planning programme

What is the Ministry of Education doing for pandemic planning?

The Ministry of Education provides leadership for pandemic planning for the education sector. Our pandemic planning focuses on three key work streams:

• Provision of workplace safety measures and policies to protect people
• Development of business continuity plans, templates and guidelines to minimise the impact of a pandemic
• Provision of information and resources to help education providers and agencies to develop their own pandemic plans.

What planning support is available to the education sector?

The Ministry has developed a Pandemic Planning Kit to assist organisations within the education sector to develop their own pandemic plans.

Managers and governors of ECE services, schools and tertiary education organisations should include a Pandemic Plan in their existing emergency management plans.

What curriculum-related resources are there?

Health and Physical Education in The New Zealand Curriculum includes learning outcomes and achievement objectives related to staying healthy, preventing the spread of communicable diseases and managing change, loss and grief.

Key messages for keeping well - teacher resources containing health education teaching and learning strategies designed to enhance wellness and in so doing prevent the spread of disease.

Personal growth and development and relationships: Crisis and change - a curriculum exemplar for teachers to help students understand that change and loss are part of life and that individuals have different ways of experiencing and expressing grief.

Personal identity and self-worth: Understanding loss and helping others - this exemplar helps teachers assist students to explore aspects of managing change, loss, and grief.

Where can I go to access more information about influenza pandemics?

There are a wide range of websites featuring information about influenza pandemics which you may find useful. Some of these websites are listed below.

• Ministry of Health - for background information about pandemic influenza, National Health Emergency Plan, pandemic preparedness, planning, and latest updates.
• Department of Labour - has up-to-date practical, workplace-related information to help businesses prepare for a pandemic.
• Ministry of Economic Development - business continuity planning for influenza pandemics.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - contains travel advice on pandemic influenza. MFAT also prepares country-specific travel advice based on security concerns.
• Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management
  • Get Ready Get Thru
  • What's The Plan Stan
• World Health Organisation - for updates on the global situation, pandemic stages, factsheets.
• Centre for Disease Control and Prevention - background information about influenza, how it is spread, vaccines, outbreak information, travel advice and professional guidance.