Coronavirus: Early childhood teachers don't want centres open at alert level 3

Early childhood educators have pushed backed at the Government following the announcement that their centres will be able to open at alert level 3.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday New Zealand will move out of level 4 on April 27 at 11:59pm. It means schools and kindergartens are allowed to reopen for some students.

Open letters to Ardern and online petitions signed by tens of thousands claim it will be impossible to keep young children apart once level 4 is lifted. 

Early Childhood Council CEO Peter Reynolds says it's "impossible" for children to social distance from each other.

"There's no way you're going to keep those kids apart. [They will] hug and kiss and get together again. It's impossible to isolate children like that," Reynolds says.

Of the 1300 centres the council represents, 80 percent want to wait until New Zealand is at alert level 2 to open.

In an open letter to Ardern, they wrote that "the move to re-opening is too fast and that many of these issues will remain unresolved".

"We feel it's rushed and just too early," Reynolds says.

A petition has already gained over 33,000 signatures calling on the Government to keep schools closed as well. Despite that, they will be able to reopen on April 29 but only for children whose parents have to work at level 3.

"We are not expecting large numbers to be in attendance," Ardern said on Monday.

The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says it will be safe for children to return to schools.

"Children and teens have low infection rates, and they don't become as unwell if they do get infected and they don't tend to pass it onto adults."

The decision has been slammed by the New Zealand Principals' Federation, who say for those who do go back it will be school but just not as they once knew it.

"There won't be playtime, there won't be bells and it won't be like school. It will be online learning at school rather than in your lounge," principal of Rotorua's Lynmore School Lorraine Taylor says.

The Du Chateau-Tierney family says although they want to send their two children back to school, they won't do so until it's completely safe.

"With the three-year-old, I think it's critical for our working day to have her at daycare. However, I think we need to review what daycare puts in place in terms of safety," Asha Tierney says.

The plea from teachers is to only send your children to school or kindergarten if it is necessary and parents have no other option.