16948 (2026). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education

16948 (2026). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education: What preparations, if at all, have government departments undertaken to prepare students, whānau, schools, teachers, and communities for the possibility of students learning from home if the government decided to move to Phase 2, 3, or 4 of the National Fuel Plan?

Hon Erica Stanford: The Government’s priority is for children to continue attending school. I am advised that the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) is developing and finalising an education sector response framework aligned with the National Fuel Plan. The framework under development is intended to set out how the education system will respond at different fuel phases, and to clearly distinguish between preparation and activation. Fuel phase changes will not, on their own, trigger a move to remote or hybrid learning. Any decisions about changes to delivery will be made locally, based on real time conditions in individual communities and education settings.