#school-closures

#school-closures

Multiple schools have temporarily closed in New Zealand and hundreds of education facilities are seeking advice from officials after asbestos was detected in several brands of widely used coloured play sand. Last week, the ministry for business, innovation and employment confirmed a voluntary recall was under way for two brands of coloured sand sold in New Zealand, after testing in Australia found asbestos in similar products.

The school day is just getting started, and 4-year-old Vasiliki Vourgou, a little girl with dark eyes and hair pulled back in a shiny ponytail with a hot pink scrunchie, is alone. Most days, there are two pupils in this small classroom on the Greek island of Lemnos, with big windows and a view of the school's front courtyard. But one student is sick, so today it's just Vasiliki, going through the morning routine with her teacher.

We were focused on trying to delay the peak of the pandemic and we thought that the closure of schools, if it had to be used at all, would be a measure of last resort, the former prime minister said. He added: It was my impression that the work was being done. I certainly, let me put it this way, I certainly assumed that the work was being done.

"We've already lived through the painful impact of past closures, consolidations and modernizations, disruptions that left deep scars on our families, students and staff," she said. "Please, do not reassign our students again. Do not implement these boundary changes."

Diwali, the vibrant festival of lights celebrated in Hinduism and other religions, will become an official state holiday in California starting in 2026. The new law was sponsored by Democratic state Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who represents part of San Jose. Starting next year, public schools and community colleges will be able to close on Diwali, and state employees can choose to take the day off with pay.

I've read in Gavin Williamson's statement that he says that the department had not done any planning by this point for school closure because their priority was keeping schools open, Coles said when giving evidence to the inquiry on Monday. I almost fell off my chair when I read that. I think that's an extraordinary dereliction of duty by the leadership of the department both political and civil service.

According to the Education Policy Institute, London may be worst hit as a declining birthrate coincides with families moving away from the capital or sending their children to private schools. In fact, nine out of ten local UK authorities predicted to have the most significant drop in pupil numbers are in the capital, with places such as Westminster, Lambeth and Southwark being among the worst hit.

Barack Obama has admitted he has been digging himself out of a hole with his wife Michelle for years. The former United States president, 64, revealed he is on level ground with his partner, 61, eight years after leaving the White House. He made the comments during the London leg of his European speaking tour, in which he also criticised Donald Trump's recent comments about autism and the decision to shut schools during lockdown.

The data reflects that the district's current approach is not working, and urgent transformational change is necessary to improve outcomes for all Austin ISD students," TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in the letter.

More than 50 private schools across England have announced closures so far this year, following the introduction of Labour's 20% VAT on school fees in January 2025.