The Ministry of Education has flip-flopped on its decision to shut all Auckland schools - causing a giant headache for parents, teachers and students.
On Monday, all schools in the region were ordered to close for the week and provide only distance learning.
On Tuesday, the message got mixed, it seemed that some schools could open.
On Wednesday that's been made official, with schools now able to open from Thursday.
Speaking with Lloyd Burr on Wednesday afternoon, National's Education Spokesperson Erica Stanford said Jan Tinetti 'needs to take responsibility' for the 'poor communication'.
"Over the last three days it's been a hot mess," Stanford said.
"The media that went out and the comms that went out - that they [schools] had to close, that was never the case.
"If parents needed their wee ones in daycare, they were able to send them, and that was only clarified yesterday.
"Over three days we've basically had four different messages."
Stanford said these announcements have disrupted a lot of schools across Tāmaki Makaurau, telling Burr Rangitoto College, for example, isn't able to open until next week as a result due to 'logistical nightmares'.
"There's 4000 odd kids up there and to get through their orientation and all of the rescheduling that they have to do, they just logistically can't do it because they were ordered to close and they redid everything.
"Principals have been ringing me saying, 'we're really upset at the fact that we've had to now put out three different comms to our parents… It looks like we don't know what we're talking about'.
"It's been pretty tough on them and tough on families."
Burr had asked Education Minister Jan Tinetti to come on his Today FM show to talk about these school shut-downs, however, received a response telling him that the Ministry of Education is responsible.
When Burr asked Stanford who is in charge of these school closure decisions and how it all works, she said it is always, ultimately down to the Minister.
"The Minister has to take responsibility for her ministry, her department, and she should be doing that, not passing the buck down the line," Stanford said.
"They've hired hundreds and hundreds of extra backroom bureaucrats in the Ministry of Education, and they still can't get their comms right."
Listen to the full interview between Erica Stanford and Lloyd Burr above.
You can also download the full interview on the Lloyd Burr Live podcast, and listen on the go.
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